Positioning no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
Options no verdict drawn today, left as found
Ethical does not pass the values gate
Price61.63 USD
Fair value76.77
Ethical score70.0/100
Our investment reviews on this name
2026-09-15Read Markdown61.63+0.0% to today
2026-08-15Read Markup63.66-3.2% to today
2026-07-02Read Distribution58.92+4.6% to today
Our analytic regime reads on this name, dated and marked against today's price. Small sample per name, and separate from the daily-framework accuracy on the Track Record page.
Unilever plc ADR holds its Markdown at $61.63. Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 121 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-09-10
Phase
Markdown · caution
Quantitative state
Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 121 days
Price at the screen
$61.63
Valuation
20.82 trailing · 15.59 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
0.45
The Workings
Five Screens, Shown in Full
Does not pass. Debt ratio
Test
Figure
Limit
What it means
Status
Business activity
Permissible
Core business clean
Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines: no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.
Pass
Debt load
39.16%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 39.2% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.
Fail
Interest-bearing cash
3.67%
Below 33%
Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 3.7% of assets, under the one-third limit.
Pass
Receivables
12.48%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 12.5% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
0.79%
Below 5%
Only 0.8% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, under the 5% line.
Pass
Five checks adapted from AAOIFI screening standards: business activity plus four balance-sheet ratios. All five must pass for ethical clearance. Every figure is arithmetic on public accounts, not judgement.
The Conscience Overlay
Conscience flag · Consumer boycott campaigns
The quantitative screen above is arithmetic. Separately, community boycott lists cite this company: Cited in consumer boycott campaigns post-October 2023 for maintaining consumer products operations and brand presence in Israel. The desk records that flag here without folding it into the verdict: the screen measures the balance sheet, the overlay informs the conscience, and they are different judgements that belong to different owners. The second one is yours.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-09-10 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 24.6% margin of safety to the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 4 covering, consensus None. The average target sits +21% from the screen price.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Price History & Projections
Where it has been, where the models see it going. History from market close data; projection points are our fair-value estimates and third-party analyst targets, dated to the 2026-09-10 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The Business, in Plain Words
Unilever's Debt Woes Tarn its Household Shine
Imagine every corner store across the globe, and Unilever products are likely on the shelves - that's the reach of this household and personal products giant. Unilever operates across Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods segments, catering to everyday needs in Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Why it stands out is its broad product range and massive market penetration, but it lags on growth, showing zero revenue growth, a sign that the company might be facing market saturation or challenges in innovation.
Despite a robust profit margin of 18% and a commendable ROE of 32%, Unilever's debt ratio has it failing our ethical screen. This high debt load is a significant concern, especially in times of economic stress, as it could limit the company's flexibility and resilience. The market's forward P/E of 16.4x suggests reasonable valuation, but our fair value estimate of $77.12 offers an 18% margin of safety, indicating that while not overpriced, there's not a compelling reason to rush into this investment.
The risk here is twofold: a stagnant revenue growth rate that may signal a maturity or decline phase in its business cycles, and a debt ratio that fails our ethical screen. Together, these factors paint a picture of a company that, despite its global presence and brand strength, is currently not aligning with our ethical investment principles. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: its business and earnings are exposed to United Kingdom and to currency swings; it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
UL trades on the NYSE (the company is based in United Kingdom). As a listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering its home market. New to this, or investing from abroad? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The Dated Journal · Newest First, Never Edited
Every Entry, As Written
2026-09-15Markdown · changed$61.63-3.2%Entry 5
The framework has shifted from markup to markdown since the last review. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 3.2% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 15%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 7%. The street (4 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $67.
2026-08-15Markup · changed$63.66+8.0%Entry 4
The framework has shifted from distribution to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 8.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 15%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 7%. The street (4 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $67.
2026-07-18Distribution$58.92+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 15%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 7%. The street (4 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $67.
2026-07-03Distribution$58.92+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Distribution$58.92Entry 1
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows negative risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
