Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Can I have your advice on whether Unilever plc is a good buy or not? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Unilever plc (ADR), $47.31, symbol UL on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $59.9 billion; www.unilever.com), is one of the world’s largest makers of consumer goods. Asia and Africa supply 43% of its sales, followed by the Americas (32%) and Europe (25%). The company gets 57% of its revenue from emerging markets. Unilever operates through four businesses: Personal Care (37% of sales) makes skin and haircare products, deodorants and oral-care goods. Top brands include Dove and Lux (soap), Sunsilk (shampoo), Axe (deodorant), Pond’s (skin cream), Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and Close Up (toothpaste). Foods (24%) makes a variety of packaged products, including Becel margarine, Knorr soups and Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Refreshments (19%) makes …