Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. Invests $2.22 Million in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

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

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Mission Wealth Management LP raised its position in shares of Unilever by 1.4% in the first quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 11,497 shares of the company's stock worth $685,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Unilever by 1.0% in the first quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 16,246 shares of the company's stock worth $967,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Unilever by 0.8% in the first quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 21,492 shares of the company's stock worth $1,280,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the period. Cardinal Capital Management raised its position in shares of Unilever by 0.4% in the first quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 39,953 shares of the company's stock worth $2,379,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 0.5% during the first quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 35,729 shares of the company's stock worth $2,128,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Up 1.2%

UL stock traded up $0.69 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $60.82. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,618,153 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,544,190. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $54.32 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.43, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.32.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UL has been the subject of a number of research reports. 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 for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.50.

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.