Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC Invests $1.86 Million in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC has acquired 31,152 shares of Unilever PLC, valued at approximately $1,855,000, marking a new position for the firm in the first quarter.
• Unilever recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.5175 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $2.07 and a yield of 3.2%.
• Analysts have varying ratings for Unilever, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a price target of $73.00, signaling potential growth in its stock value.

Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 31,152 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,855,000.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on UL. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $73.00.

Unilever Trading Down 0.9%

UL stock traded down $0.60 during trading on Friday, reaching $62.90. 2,489,102 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,112,859. The firm's 50 day moving average is $61.55 and its 200 day moving average is $61.42. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The firm has a market cap of $154.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a $0.5175 dividend. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.