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Unite Group PLC (UTG.L)

Real Estate Out of favour

Unite Group provides purpose-built student accommodation across the UK, collecting rent from thousands of university attendees.

£5.38
≈ 538p · London-listed shares are usually quoted in pence (GBX) elsewhere; the Almanac shows pounds (£1 = 100p).

Is Unite Group PLC a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: Unite Group provides purpose-built student accommodation across the UK, collecting rent from thousands of university attendees.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price-43.5%
52-week range-30% past year
£5.38
Low £4.42High £7.61
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.
If you had put £1,000 into Unite Group PLC
£565-44%

Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.

Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
£2.76B
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
2.74M
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
£5.38 – £5.49
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
£4.42 – £7.61
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
7.0%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
0.95
How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 0.95
Calm
Wild
Roughly in step with the market

Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.

Why has it been moving?▲ +2% past week · ▼ -30% past year

Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.

The bull case

A structural shortage of student housing drives up rental values significantly over time.

The bear case

Regulatory changes or lower international student numbers permanently alter the sector.

What does Unite Group PLC do?

Students and universities hand over rental payments for rooms in Unite's massive purpose-built halls of residence, creating a steady stream of property income. The business makes its money by operating these buildings efficiently and partnering directly with universities to house their undergraduates. Keep a close eye on how occupancy rates hold up alongside shifting university intake numbers.

VQGMI
Factor profile

On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and income, and weakest on momentum.

Value: How cheap the stock looks versus profits, sales and assets (higher = cheaper). 35Quality: How profitable and financially healthy the company is (higher = stronger). 36Growth: How fast revenue and earnings are growing (higher = faster). 73Momentum: How the share price has been trending recently (higher = stronger recent run). 29Income: The dividend income on offer and how sustainable it looks (higher = more/steadier). 51
Quick checks
What's strong
  • Growth screens high (73/100)
  • High gross margin shows strong underlying property economics
  • Substantial dividend yield offers notable income generation
  • Essential service catering to persistent demand for university housing
What to watch
  • Momentum screens low (29/100)
  • Shifts in government policy regarding international student visas
  • Rising property maintenance and financing costs
  • Potential oversupply in specific university cities

What do Unite Group PLC's numbers mean?

Forward P/E
12.9
This shows how many years of expected future earnings it would take to equal the current share price, hinting at relative value.
Gross margin
69.8%
This high percentage reveals that after paying direct property costs, a large chunk of rent money remains to cover overheads.
Dividend yield
7.0%
This figure highlights the substantial cash payouts relative to the share price, appealing to income-focused participants.
12-month price move
-27.7%
This double-digit drop over the past year shows that the market has cooled significantly on the shares.

Does Unite Group PLC pay a dividend?

Yes - Unite Group PLC currently pays a dividend of about 7.0% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.

When does Unite Group PLC report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?

Unite Group PLC is next scheduled to report on about 2027-02-23 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.

Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.

See who else reports over the next two weeks →

Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.

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What are the scenarios for Unite Group PLC?

An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.

£7£5£4today · £5▲ Bull · £6• Base · £5▼ Bear · £4in 1 yearILLUSTRATIVE · NOT A PREDICTION OR PRICE TARGET
Bull
+10% to +20%Strong autumn term occupancy rates ease worries about student housing demand.
Base
-5% to +5%Steady rental income ticks along without major surprises.
Bear
-15% to -25%Weaker university enrollment numbers leave more rooms empty.

What are the pros and cons of Unite Group PLC?

3bull points
6bear points

How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case3
  • High gross margin: The share of each £1 of sales left after the direct cost of making the product, before other running costs. Higher usually means more pricing power. shows strong underlying property economics
  • Substantial dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone. offers notable income generation
  • Essential service catering to persistent demand for university housing
The catch3
  • Negative net margin: How much of each £1 of sales becomes profit after all costs. Higher = more profitable per sale. indicates recent bottom-line pressures
  • Negative return on equity: How much profit the company makes for each £1 shareholders have put in. Higher usually means a more efficient business. points to inefficient use of shareholder funds lately
  • Substantial 12-month share price decline reflects waning market confidence
Key risks3
  • Shifts in government policy regarding international student visas
  • Rising property maintenance and financing costs
  • Potential oversupply in specific university cities
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

Confidence: medium · data: GBP · flags: pe, earnings_growth · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →

This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.

Figures as of 2026-08-02. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.