London, Jan 25, 2026, 08:32 GMT — Market closed
- Unilever closed Friday 1% higher, finishing at 4,864 pence in London.
- Barclays raised its price target, while Jefferies maintained a negative outlook.
- Legal battles involving Ben & Jerry’s board are resurfacing just before February’s earnings.
Unilever (ULVR.L) shares ended Friday up 1%, closing at 4,864 pence. That lifted the stock roughly 2.2% over the past five sessions, just ahead of the weekend London market shutdown.
Investors face a tug-of-war on Monday: upbeat broker targets clash with ongoing legal and governance troubles tied to the group’s former ice cream business. All eyes will be on Unilever’s full-year results due in February.
Barclays analyst Warren Ackerman maintained his Buy rating and bumped up the target price to 5,700 pence, up from 5,500 pence, in a note dated Jan. 23.
JP Morgan’s Celine Pannuti held firm on a Buy rating, while Jefferies’ David Hayes stuck to a Sell call, highlighting the split among analysts over valuation and what’s baked into the price.
Barclays maintained a neutral stance on European consumer staples in a fresh sector note but raised its target on Unilever to 5,700 pence, keeping an “overweight” rating—meaning it recommends holding a larger position than the benchmark. Investing.com
Reputational and legal risks are also in play. According to a Reuters report, Magnum Ice Cream Company has accused Ben & Jerry’s former board chair of “serious misconduct.” The dispute has dwindled the board down to just two directors and is now tied up in a U.S. District Court case in New York. MarketScreener
The report noted that Unilever carved out its ice cream business into Magnum last December, retaining a 19.9% stake. So, despite the split, any fallout still hits Unilever directly.
UK-listed peers showed a mixed picture in the last session. Reckitt Benckiser fell 1.6% on Friday, while the FTSE 100 barely moved.
Unilever’s shares usually behave like a defensive stock—steady cash flows, modest growth—until an unexpected twist hits, often in guidance or margin surprises. Inflation and currency swings mean even minor shifts in pricing and volumes can pack a bigger punch than investors anticipate.
Unilever has scheduled its Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings release for Feb. 12. The company is also slated to present at the CAGNY Conference on Feb. 17, per its investor website.
Traders are keenly awaiting any news on the Magnum relationship and the ongoing governance issues, along with the usual focus on pricing, volumes, and whether cost pressures are letting up or persisting.
There’s a clear risk here. Should the legal battle expand, or if Unilever signals weaker demand or diminished pricing power, the stock could quickly shed its “safe” status—particularly as broker views are already divided.
Next up: Monday’s open in London. But the real trigger arrives Feb. 12, when Unilever releases updated figures and guidance.
