James Gard: Each week, we look at one stock that is cheap or expensive and why. This week is the turn of Unilever, which has a 4-star rating from Morningstar.
The consumer goods giant makes products like Magnum ice cream and Dove soap. The company has long been a favourite for fund managers like Nick Train who value the company's brands and reliable dividends. Shares in Unilever climbed in the market sell-off last year as investors sought out reliable, defensive companies that paid decent and rising dividends. Its products were used in greater quantities in 2020 as Britains cleaned, baked and ate their way through multiple lockdowns. This year has been much tougher with rising inflation pushing up costs across the board. Its supply chains have also been squeezed.
This year's price slide has pushed the shares into undervalued territory, according to Morningstar analysts. The shares trade below £40 per share but have a fair value of around £43 according to analyst Philip Gorham. Unilever also has a wide economic moat with brand leaders in a number of consumer categories. The company is also well-positioned to benefit from rising incomes and rising economic growth in emerging markets.
For Morningstar, I'm James Gard.