Griffith & Werner Inc. Buys Shares of 6,473 Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Griffith & Werner Inc. bought a new stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 6,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $367,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UL. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 0.3%

Unilever stock traded up $0.19 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $63.49. 1,404,142 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,504,913. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $59.02. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $53.50 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $156.03 billion, a PE ratio of 18.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $0.5151 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 59.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. BNP Paribas started coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $70.67.

Unilever Company Profile

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.