Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV Has $4.48 Million Stock Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Azzad Asset Management boosted its Unilever stake by 62.8% in the first quarter, buying 30,331 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 78,662 shares worth about $4.48 million.
• Other institutional investors also made changes to UL, and overall 9.67% of Unilever’s stock is held by institutions and hedge funds.
• Wall Street sentiment on Unilever is mixed to cautious: the stock carries an average "Hold" rating and an average price target of $65.55, while recent analyst actions included both upgrades and downgrades.

Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 62.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 78,662 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 30,331 shares during the quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV's holdings in Unilever were worth $4,481,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Unilever during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Unilever during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 108.8% in the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research lowered Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Unilever from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $60.95 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $58.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.59. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $54.75 and a 1-year high of $74.97.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever's corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever's business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.

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