HighTower Advisors LLC Decreases Holdings in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors reduced its Unilever stake by 5.9% in the second quarter, selling 25,527 shares and retaining 410,103 shares valued at approximately $24.7 million.
• Other institutional investors—including Bank of America, Royal Bank of Canada and T. Rowe Price—expanded their positions, while hedge funds and institutions collectively own 9.67% of Unilever.
• Unilever shares opened at $62.12, near their 200-day average, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.92 versus the $1.84 consensus estimate. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $65.55.

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 5.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 410,103 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,527 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $24,655,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UL. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Unilever by 16.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,426 shares of the company's stock worth $379,501,000 after buying an additional 937,346 shares during the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $268,704,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its stake in Unilever by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,616,603 shares of the company's stock valued at $236,526,000 after buying an additional 323,393 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Unilever by 13.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,403,807 shares of the company's stock worth $193,915,000 after acquiring an additional 406,610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Unilever by 44.3% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,067,651 shares of the company's stock worth $200,625,000 after acquiring an additional 942,286 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $62.12 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $61.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.20. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $54.75 and a 1 year high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.92 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.84 by ($0.92). The company had revenue of $14.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.80 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Unilever PLC will post 3.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UL. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Unilever from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $65.55.

About Unilever

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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