Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Deutsche Bank sees more upside at Unilever after strong annual results

(Sharecast News) - Deutsche Bank has kept a 'buy' rating for consumer products group Unilever, saying that while risks remain there is still earnings growth potential within the group after a solid 2023 performance. The stock rose strongly on Thursday after annual results showed full-year underlying sales grew by 7% in 2023, with underlying operating profit rising 2.6% as underlying operating margins improved 60 basis points to 16.7%.

"Gross margin surprised to the upside as did volume growth and this before the new management have fully mobilised their action plan," Deutsche Bank said in a research note.

"There remains a high skew between the outperformers and underperformers in the group which could provide some volatility, but we see Unilever progressing towards a steadier compounding performance under the new management's action plan."

The stock, which trades at 17.8 times 2024 earnings, is currently valued at an 11% discount to the weighted average multiple across the global food/household and personal care sector - a discount "which we regard as too high", the bank said.

The shares, having gained 3% the previous day, were 0.4% at 4,008.44p by 1030 GMT on Friday, with Deutsche Bank's target price of 4,600p indicating further upside.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

ECR Minerals mulls expansion into US helium market
(Sharecast News) - ECR Minerals, an exploration and development company traditionally focused on gold in Australia, announced on Friday that its board was exploring potential investments in producing helium assets in the United States.
Zenova reports solid momentum as interim loss narrows
(Sharecast News) - Fire safety and heat management technology specialist Zenova Group reported significant first-half strides in its interim results on Friday, despite a challenging financial backdrop.
Jefferies lowers target price on Life Science REIT
(Sharecast News) - Jefferies cut its price target on real estate investment trust Life Sciences REIT from 45.0p to 36.0p following a visit to the group's Cambourne Science & Technology Park.
Beowulf reports substantial first-half progress
(Sharecast News) - Mineral explorer and developer Beowulf Mining reported substantial progress across its portfolio in its interim results on Friday, particularly in advancing its key projects at Gállok in Sweden and the Graphite Anode Materials Plant (GAMP) in Finland.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.