Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. reduced its stake in Unilever PLC by 29.5% during the second quarter, now holding 84,154 shares valued at approximately $5.15 million.
• Unilever recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5175, an increase from the previous $0.52, reflecting a 3.4% yield.
• Analysts have mixed reviews for Unilever, with Zacks Research upgrading the stock from a "hold" to a "strong-buy" rating, while other ratings vary from "buy" to "underperform."

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lowered its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 29.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 84,154 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,278 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $5,148,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Unilever by 33.2% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 934,804 shares of the company's stock worth $55,668,000 after acquiring an additional 232,945 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Unilever by 13.9% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 28,100,442 shares of the company's stock worth $1,673,381,000 after acquiring an additional 3,421,054 shares during the period. Stonegate Investment Group LLC raised its position in Unilever by 69.7% in the first quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 14,282 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after acquiring an additional 5,867 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Unilever by 65.1% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 232,096 shares of the company's stock worth $13,821,000 after acquiring an additional 91,511 shares during the period. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. raised its position in Unilever by 70.6% in the first quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 15,030 shares of the company's stock worth $895,000 after acquiring an additional 6,220 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL stock opened at $61.00 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $149.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.48, a PEG ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.40. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $54.32 and a one year high of $65.66. The company's fifty day moving average price is $61.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.65.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.5175 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 59.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on UL. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $73.00.

About Unilever

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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