Diversified Management Inc. Acquires 26,438 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Diversified Management Inc. increased its Unilever stake by 410.8% in the third quarter, acquiring 26,438 additional shares for a total holding of 32,874 shares valued at approximately $2.0 million.
• Several major institutions also expanded their Unilever positions, including Bank of America, Royal Bank of Canada and Lazard Asset Management; institutional investors collectively own 9.67% of the company.
• Unilever shares opened at $61.89, while analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating and a $65.55 price target. The company’s latest quarterly earnings missed estimates, reporting $0.59 in EPS versus a $1.84 consensus.

Diversified Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 410.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,874 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 26,438 shares during the period. Diversified Management Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,996,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 16.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,426 shares of the company's stock worth $379,501,000 after acquiring an additional 937,346 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Unilever by 13.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,403,807 shares of the company's stock worth $193,915,000 after acquiring an additional 406,610 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 674.2% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,794,600 shares of the company's stock worth $159,208,000 after acquiring an additional 2,433,625 shares during the period. Hamlin Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,722,721 shares of the company's stock valued at $163,690,000 after acquiring an additional 282,076 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equity Investment Corp raised its holdings in Unilever by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,996,952 shares of the company's stock valued at $120,057,000 after acquiring an additional 46,801 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Up 1.5%

Unilever stock opened at $61.89 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $54.75 and a 12-month high of $74.97. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $62.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.32.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.84 by ($1.25). The firm had revenue of $14.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.80 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Unilever PLC will post 3.54 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, July 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. It develops, manufactures and markets branded products across beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and nutrition. Its portfolio includes widely recognized brands such as Dove, Vaseline, Axe, Rexona, Cif, Domestos, Knorr, Hellmann's and Magnum, although product availability varies by market.

The company's products are sold through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, e-commerce platforms and other retail channels in countries around the world.

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