UL
Unilever PLC Consumer Staples - Household Products Investor Relations →
Unilever PLC (UL) closed at $72.12 as of 2026-02-02, trading 25.6% above its 200-week moving average of $57.41. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 19.4% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 63, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 2345 weeks of data, UL has crossed below its 200-week moving average 30 times. On average, these episodes lasted 9 weeks. Historically, investors who bought UL at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +17.5%.
With a market cap of $157.7 billion, UL is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 3.5%. Return on equity stands at 28.7%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 7.5x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in UL would have grown to $1998, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. UL has returned 9.4% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: UL vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After UL Crosses Below the Line?
Across 21 historical episodes, buying UL when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +17.6% after 12 months (median +16.0%), compared to +7.1% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 81% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +22.6% vs +16.9% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment UL crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
UL has crossed below its 200-week MA 30 times with an average 1-year return of +17.5% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1981 | Mar 1981 | 2 | 2.5% | +16.5% | +19203.5% |
| Aug 1981 | Aug 1981 | 2 | 0.9% | +5.9% | +18522.2% |
| Sep 1981 | Nov 1981 | 6 | 5.6% | +11.9% | +18743.9% |
| Apr 1982 | Jul 1982 | 15 | 4.1% | +22.6% | +18743.9% |
| Aug 1982 | Sep 1982 | 4 | 6.0% | +9.8% | +19203.5% |
| Jul 1983 | Jul 1983 | 1 | 0.1% | +8.1% | +17536.7% |
| Aug 1983 | Aug 1983 | 1 | 2.1% | +6.8% | +17887.4% |
| Jul 1984 | Aug 1984 | 5 | 2.9% | +34.8% | +17105.3% |
| Sep 1984 | Sep 1984 | 1 | 1.0% | +18.3% | +16920.3% |
| Jun 1994 | Jun 1994 | 1 | 0.1% | +42.4% | +2060.0% |
| Nov 1999 | Jan 2000 | 8 | 11.7% | +9.1% | +834.0% |
| Jan 2000 | Nov 2000 | 42 | 29.4% | +8.6% | +897.9% |
| Nov 2000 | Dec 2000 | 3 | 1.1% | +4.0% | +765.1% |
| Jan 2001 | Jun 2001 | 22 | 13.0% | +5.4% | +753.1% |
| Sep 2001 | Dec 2001 | 13 | 10.2% | +15.5% | +758.7% |
| Jan 2002 | Jan 2002 | 1 | 0.4% | +22.1% | +724.2% |
| Mar 2002 | Apr 2002 | 1 | 0.7% | +21.2% | +734.9% |
| Jul 2002 | Jul 2002 | 1 | 0.0% | +10.7% | +733.0% |
| Sep 2004 | Sep 2004 | 1 | 0.1% | +32.4% | +639.4% |
| Oct 2004 | Oct 2004 | 2 | 1.0% | +30.1% | +637.2% |
| Oct 2008 | Jul 2009 | 40 | 30.1% | +32.1% | +411.1% |
| Nov 2016 | Dec 2016 | 6 | 3.3% | +45.0% | +118.0% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 4 | 7.2% | +14.2% | +56.8% |
| May 2020 | May 2020 | 2 | 0.1% | +22.4% | +53.0% |
| Feb 2021 | Mar 2021 | 1 | 3.2% | +0.7% | +46.8% |
| Oct 2021 | Dec 2021 | 12 | 3.6% | -14.5% | +41.4% |
| Jan 2022 | Mar 2023 | 61 | 17.0% | +7.4% | +49.5% |
| Jun 2023 | Jun 2023 | 1 | 0.7% | +15.6% | +40.0% |
| Sep 2023 | Jan 2024 | 18 | 6.6% | +37.1% | +40.0% |
| Apr 2024 | Apr 2024 | 3 | 4.2% | +27.8% | +40.1% |
| Average | 9 | — | +17.5% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02