New York State Common Retirement Fund Decreases Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Key Points

• The New York State Common Retirement Fund reduced its stake in Unilever PLC by 88.8% during the first quarter, bringing its holdings down to 4,751 shares worth approximately $283,000.
• Unilever has seen significant activity from other investors, with notable increases in holdings by hedge funds such as D. E. Shaw & Co., which raised its position by 592.8%.
• Brokerages have varied opinions on Unilever's stock, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $72.50, reflecting mixed outlooks on its future performance.

New York State Common Retirement Fund cut its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 88.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,751 shares of the company's stock after selling 37,699 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund's holdings in Unilever were worth $283,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 140.1% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company's stock worth $210,883,000 after buying an additional 2,170,242 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 401.5% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,465,523 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,095,000 after buying an additional 1,173,298 shares in the last quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 592.8% during the fourth quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 1,070,818 shares of the company's stock worth $60,715,000 after purchasing an additional 916,246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 7,286.5% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 781,713 shares of the company's stock worth $46,551,000 after purchasing an additional 771,130 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UL. UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.50.

Unilever Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $60.41 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The stock has a market cap of $148.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.41. The company's fifty day moving average is $61.97 and its 200-day moving average is $60.11.

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.

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