37,300 Shares in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Acquired by Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc.

Key Points

• Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever PLC, investing approximately $2.22 million for 37,300 shares, making it the firm's 22nd largest position.
• Unilever recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, an increase from its previous dividend, representing an annualized dividend yield of 3.4%.
• The stock has seen a 3.5% increase, with analysts maintaining a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $72.50.

Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 37,300 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,222,000. Unilever accounts for approximately 1.6% of Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Unilever by 209.0% in the first 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 purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.50.

Unilever Price Performance

Unilever stock traded up $2.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $60.46. The company had a trading volume of 2,718,551 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,246,505. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $54.32 and a 1 year high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $148.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.38. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $61.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.29.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.03%.

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.