GFS Advisors LLC Takes Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• GFS Advisors LLC has acquired a new stake in Unilever PLC, purchasing 134,665 shares valued at approximately $8.2 million during the 2nd quarter.
• Unilever recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.5175 per share, which represents a 3.4% dividend yield based on an annualized payout of $2.07.
• Analysts have a mixed outlook on Unilever's stock, with ratings ranging from "Strong Buy" to "Underperform," and an average target price of $73.00.

GFS Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 134,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,237,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UL. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 24.0% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 13,127 shares of the company's stock valued at $782,000 after purchasing an additional 2,544 shares during the period. CX Institutional acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the first quarter valued at about $136,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 20.8% in the first quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 31,559 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,879,000 after purchasing an additional 5,425 shares during the period. Finally, Pullen Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 2.3% in the first quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 28,341 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,688,000 after purchasing an additional 635 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $60.47 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $61.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $61.63. The firm has a market cap of $148.36 billion, a PE ratio of 17.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.40. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $54.32 and a 1-year high of $65.66.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a $0.5175 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Sunday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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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