Ameriprise Financial Inc. Buys 15,597 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 844,989 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,597 shares during the quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $47,901,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 551.9% in the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 41,063 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,328,000 after buying an additional 34,764 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $192,000. Guardian Capital LP raised its position in shares of Unilever by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Guardian Capital LP now owns 151,115 shares of the company's stock worth $8,568,000 after purchasing an additional 1,653 shares during the period. Finally, Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lifted its stake in Unilever by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 7,664 shares of the company's stock valued at $434,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE UL traded down $0.66 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $60.78. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,691,425 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,526,069. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $60.91 and a 200 day moving average of $58.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.42, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $53.50 and a twelve month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $0.5151 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.39%. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 59.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.50.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream. The Beauty & Wellbeing segment engages in the sale of hair care products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and styling; skin care products including face, hand, and body moisturizer; and prestige beauty and health & wellbeing products consist of the vitamins, minerals, and supplements.