Unilever (NYSE:UL) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $59.14, but opened at $55.33. Unilever shares last traded at $55.60, with a volume of 3,189,160 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Trading Down 4.9 %

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.38.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Stonegate Investment Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 155.2% in the 4th quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 8,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $477,000 after acquiring an additional 5,117 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Unilever by 16.9% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,180,000 after purchasing an additional 15,941 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the third quarter worth about $11,694,000. WCM Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 236.2% during the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,997,000 after purchasing an additional 21,441 shares during the period. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,388,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream. The Beauty & Wellbeing segment engages in the sale of hair care products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and styling; skin care products including face, hand, and body moisturizer; and prestige beauty and health & wellbeing products consist of the vitamins, minerals, and supplements.