Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC Boosts Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 3.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 426,248 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,044 shares during the period. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $25,383,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $176,806,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 2,170,242 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock worth $1,017,253,000 after buying an additional 1,214,563 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Unilever by 401.5% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,465,523 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,095,000 after acquiring an additional 1,173,298 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $70.67.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $62.37 on Wednesday. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.32 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $153.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.43. The company's fifty day moving average price is $62.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $59.58.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were given a dividend of $0.5151 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.