10 Defensive Stocks Billionaire Ken Fisher Is Betting On

8. Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Beta Value: 0.42

Dividend Yield: 3.10%

Fisher Asset Management’s Q4 Stake: $1.01 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) is a British multinational fast-moving consumer goods corporation formed through the combination of British soap manufacturer Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie. The company owns a diversified portfolio of popular brands, which include the likes of Ben & Jerry’s, Dove, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Lux, Magnum, Sunsilk, and Wall’s.

On March 28, Citi analysts reiterated their Buy rating on Unilever (NYSE:UL) and set a price target of GBP52 on the company’s shares. The analysts also reduced their expectations for Unilever’s first-quarter organic sales growth (OSG) by 0.40 percentage point to 2.5%. This adjustment reflects ongoing consumer weakness in Western economies and a depressed price environment in Southeast Asia. Despite these changes, Citi’s long-term outlook for Unilever remains bright. Citi anticipates a significant recovery in Unilever’s margins in the second half of the year, driven by price hikes that surpass the cost of goods sold (COGS) inflation and mid-single-digit OSG.

In fiscal Q4 2024, the company’s earnings per share marginally beat analyst forecasts of £2.965, achieving £2.98, owing to strong operational efficiency. However, revenue for the quarter fell short of expectations, totaling £14.2 billion. The revenue shortfall was mostly attributable to foreign exchange headwinds and market problems. Despite this, Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) reported considerable growth in its key brands.