Citigroup Inc. Has $11.87 Million Stock Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Citigroup Inc. increased its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 10.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 199,393 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 19,200 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $11,874,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mission Wealth Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 11,497 shares of the company's stock valued at $685,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Unilever by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 16,246 shares of the company's stock valued at $967,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Unilever by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 21,492 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,280,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management lifted its holdings in Unilever by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 39,953 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,379,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 35,729 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,128,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE:UL traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $60.98. The company had a trading volume of 2,007,097 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,321,309. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $61.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.56. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $54.32 and a one year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.62 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a PEG ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.38.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.5175 dividend. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UL. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.50.

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.