114,548 Unilever PLC $UL Shares Sold by Sustainable Growth Advisers LP

Key Points

• Sustainable Growth Advisers LP reduced its Unilever stake by 36.9% in the third quarter, selling 114,548 shares and retaining 195,902 shares valued at approximately $11.9 million.
• Other institutional investors, including Bank of America, Royal Bank of Canada, Hamlin Capital Management and Lazard Asset Management, increased their Unilever holdings. Institutional investors collectively own 9.67% of the company.
• Unilever shares opened at $64.63, while analysts’ consensus rating remained “Hold” with a $68.37 price target. The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $0.59 in EPS versus the $1.84 consensus estimate.

Sustainable Growth Advisers LP lessened its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 36.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 195,902 shares of the company's stock after selling 114,548 shares during the period. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP's holdings in Unilever were worth $11,897,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 16.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,426 shares of the company's stock worth $379,501,000 after acquiring an additional 937,346 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Unilever by 13.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,403,807 shares of the company's stock worth $193,915,000 after purchasing an additional 406,610 shares in the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 11.6% during the second quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,722,721 shares of the company's stock worth $163,690,000 after purchasing an additional 282,076 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 674.2% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,794,600 shares of the company's stock worth $159,208,000 after purchasing an additional 2,433,625 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Equity Investment Corp raised its stake in Unilever by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,996,952 shares of the company's stock valued at $120,057,000 after purchasing an additional 46,801 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on UL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, September 24th. DZ Bank restated a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $68.37.

Unilever Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of UL stock opened at $64.63 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.75 and a 52 week high of $74.97. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $62.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.42.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.84 by ($1.25). The business had revenue of $14.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.80 billion. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Unilever PLC will post 3.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. It develops, manufactures and markets branded products across beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and nutrition. Its portfolio includes widely recognized brands such as Dove, Vaseline, Axe, Rexona, Cif, Domestos, Knorr, Hellmann's and Magnum, although product availability varies by market.

The company's products are sold through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, e-commerce platforms and other retail channels in countries around the world.

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