FORA Capital LLC Boosts Stake in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• FORA Capital LLC increased its stake in Unilever PLC by 67.9% in the first quarter, now holding 15,008 shares valued at approximately $894,000.
• Multiple analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Unilever, with a target price of $73.00 according to recent reports from firms like BNP Paribas and UBS Group.
• Unilever announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, a slight increase from the previous $0.52, resulting in an annualized yield of 3.3%.

FORA Capital LLC lifted its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 67.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,008 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,069 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $894,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 209.0% in the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UL. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued 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 report on Friday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $73.00.

Unilever Stock Up 0.9%

UL opened at $62.55 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.80. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.32 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $153.46 billion, a PE ratio of 17.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.83 and a beta of 0.38.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 59.31%.

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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