Blue Trust Inc. Boosts Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 30.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,715 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,174 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,055,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Mainstream Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UL. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $70.67.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $62.10 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $54.32 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The company has a 50-day moving average of $62.99 and a 200 day moving average of $59.52. The firm has a market cap of $152.43 billion, a PE ratio of 17.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.43.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a $0.5151 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.32%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is 59.03%.

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.

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