Kanawha Capital Management LLC Decreases Stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Kanawha Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 9.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 48,157 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,831 shares during the period. Kanawha Capital Management LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $2,868,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock worth $599,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Unilever by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 701,859 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,795,000 after purchasing an additional 28,227 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $413,000. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 138,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,873,000 after buying an additional 8,090 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 262.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 11,825 shares of the company's stock valued at $671,000 after buying an additional 8,564 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:UL traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $61.38. 1,795,548 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,488,591. The firm has a market cap of $150.66 billion, a PE ratio of 17.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.41. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The stock's 50-day moving average is $62.71 and its 200-day moving average is $59.66.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were given a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is 59.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on the company. BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.