Hamlin Capital Management LLC Has $144.08 Million Stake in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Hamlin Capital Management cut its Unilever stake by 21.2%, selling 655,159 shares and retaining 2,430,412 shares worth about $144.08 million, roughly 3.3% of the firm's portfolio and ~0.10% of Unilever.
• Unilever recently missed quarterly estimates—reporting $0.75 EPS versus $1.75 expected and revenue of $11.87 billion versus a $31.39 billion consensus—and Wall Street's consensus rating is Hold with a target price of $65.55.
• The company set a quarterly dividend of $0.5547 (annualized $2.22), payable April 10 with an ex-dividend/record date of February 27, implying a ~3.5% yield.

Hamlin Capital Management LLC reduced its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 21.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,430,412 shares of the company's stock after selling 655,159 shares during the period. Unilever makes up about 3.3% of Hamlin Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Hamlin Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.10% of Unilever worth $144,075,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 141.3% in the third quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 301 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Unilever in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the third quarter worth $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 548.5% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 668 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oakworth Capital Inc. grew its stake in Unilever by 46.3% in the third quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 692 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on UL. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Kepler Capital Markets cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on Unilever and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price objective on Unilever and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE UL opened at $64.01 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $68.56 and a 200-day moving average of $68.08. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $61.78 and a 12 month high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever's corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever's business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.

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