Unilever PLC $UL Stock Position Decreased by Invesco Ltd.

Key Points

• Invesco Ltd. reduced its stake in Unilever PLC by 23.8%, selling 10,485 shares, and now holds 33,560 shares valued at approximately $1.998 million.
• Unilever recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.5175, reflecting a dividend yield of 3.3% and indicating a healthy payout ratio of 59.31%.
• Several research firms have varying ratings on Unilever, with two issuing a Strong Buy recommendation and others rating it as Hold or Sell, while the average consensus price target is $73.00.

Invesco Ltd. trimmed its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 23.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 33,560 shares of the company's stock after selling 10,485 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,998,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UL. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the first quarter worth about $30,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in Unilever by 209.0% during the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target on the stock. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.00.

Unilever Stock Up 0.8%

Unilever stock traded up $0.51 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $64.05. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,958,453 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,505,618. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.32 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $157.14 billion, a PE ratio of 18.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.40. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $61.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.98.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.5175 dividend. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 59.31%.

Unilever 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.