Managed Asset Portfolios LLC Raises Stock Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Managed Asset Portfolios LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 12.5% to 299,763 shares (about $19.6M), making UL roughly 2.4% of the firm's holdings and its 19th-largest position.
• Analyst coverage is mixed after recent upgrades and downgrades, with a MarketBeat consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $65.55.
• Unilever missed quarterly expectations (EPS $0.75 vs. $1.75 expected; revenue $11.87B vs. $31.39B expected) and pays an annualized dividend of $2.22, a yield of about 3.8%.

Managed Asset Portfolios LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 12.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 299,763 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 33,324 shares during the quarter. Unilever makes up about 2.4% of Managed Asset Portfolios LLC's holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Managed Asset Portfolios LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $19,604,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in Unilever by 108.8% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC increased its position in Unilever by 141.3% during the 3rd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on UL shares. Kepler Capital Markets downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Argus upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL stock opened at $58.12 on Monday. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.95 and a 12 month high of $74.97. The company's fifty day moving average price is $63.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.93.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.39 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Unilever PLC will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%.

Unilever Profile

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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