70,000 Shares in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Acquired by K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc

K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc purchased a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 70,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,168,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Unilever by 222.5% during the first quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,977 shares of the company's stock worth $118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,364 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 25.5% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,557,291 shares of the company's stock worth $92,768,000 after purchasing an additional 316,638 shares during the last quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 4.9% during the first quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 12,045 shares of the company's stock worth $717,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its stake in Unilever by 0.5% during the first quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 35,729 shares of the company's stock worth $2,128,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc lifted its stake in Unilever by 17.3% during the first quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 10,923 shares of the company's stock worth $650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,609 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $70.67.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL opened at $60.92 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.32 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $149.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.46, a PEG ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $62.84 and a 200-day moving average of $59.62.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a $0.5151 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.38%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.03%.

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.

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