Grant Private Wealth Management Inc Makes New $396,000 Investment in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Grant Private Wealth Management Inc has acquired 6,473 shares of Unilever PLC, worth approximately $396,000, indicating growing institutional interest in the company.
• Unilever's dividend has been increased to $0.5175 per share, reflecting a 3.4% yield and a boost from the previous payout.
• Brokerage ratings for Unilever vary, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.00.

Grant Private Wealth Management Inc acquired a new stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 6,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $396,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Unilever by 13.9% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 28,100,442 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,673,381,000 after acquiring an additional 3,421,054 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 7,286.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 781,713 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,551,000 after acquiring an additional 771,130 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever in the first quarter valued at $45,413,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 764.5% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 775,561 shares of the company's stock worth $46,185,000 after buying an additional 685,848 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Factory Mutual Insurance Co. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 1st quarter worth $34,533,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on UL shares. Zacks Research raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. CICC Research started coverage on Unilever in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Sunday, August 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $73.00.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL traded down $0.05 on Tuesday, reaching $60.45. 1,083,891 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,488,364. The company's 50 day moving average is $61.62 and its 200-day moving average is $61.61. The company has a market cap of $148.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.32, a PEG ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.40. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87.

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 a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. 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.