Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Acquired by Bell Bank

Bell Bank raised its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 7.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 119,753 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,937 shares during the quarter. Bell Bank's holdings in Unilever were worth $7,131,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Unilever by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,017,253,000 after buying an additional 1,214,563 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,906,824 shares of the company's stock valued at $448,317,000 after acquiring an additional 257,538 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,103,075 shares of the company's stock worth $289,345,000 after acquiring an additional 250,053 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Unilever by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,830,532 shares of the company's stock worth $217,191,000 after purchasing an additional 327,329 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 140.1% during the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company's stock worth $210,883,000 after purchasing an additional 2,170,242 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Unilever stock traded down $0.56 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $62.22. 1,956,590 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,475,266. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $54.32 and a 12-month high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $152.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.83, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.43. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $62.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $59.47.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were given a $0.5151 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 59.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UL. BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $70.67.

Unilever 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.