Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 551.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 41,063 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 34,764 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $2,328,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,250 shares of the company's stock worth $524,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the period. Tyler Stone Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Tyler Stone Wealth Management now owns 6,576 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the period. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Unilever by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 9,956 shares of the company's stock valued at $565,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its position in Unilever by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 5,646 shares of the company's stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its holdings in Unilever by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,966 shares of the company's stock worth $168,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE:UL traded down $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $62.55. The stock had a trading volume of 2,025,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,526,227. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.26 billion, a PE ratio of 17.92, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $53.50 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $60.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.88.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.29%. Unilever's payout ratio is 59.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Unilever Company Profile

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.