“The products Unilever PLC (UL - yield 3.8%) sells are necessary to make people’s lives easier. With Europe staring down the barrel of a double-dip recession and China fearing a hard landing, it pays to focus on companies with the power to withstand weakness in the markets. Unilever is home to a catalogue of consumer brands that customers will continue to buy, in and out of recession.
“American consumers are aware of some of Unilever’s great brands, like Hellmann’s, Slim-Fast, Lipton, Wish-Bone, Ben & Jerry’s, Axe, Dove, Lifebuoy, Pond’s and Vaseline. But Unilever’s brands are popular around the world, too. Home care brands like Domestos, a bleach that is number-one or -two in its market in nine countries, and Sunlight Soap, a dish detergent that is the leading brand in 20 countries, are just two stars in Unilever’s brand constellation. CEO Paul Polman has nimbly implemented efficient policy at Unilever since he took over in January of 2009. ... Buy Unilever shares today.”
Richard C. Young, Richard C. Young’s Intelligence Report, June, 2012
