Northern Trust Corp Buys 93,677 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp has increased its stake in Unilever PLC by 4.3%, owning 2,260,133 shares valued at approximately $134.59 million.
• Unilever recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5175, representing an increase from the previous dividend and yielding 3.3% on an annualized basis.
• Analysts have diverse opinions on Unilever's stock, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $73.00, indicating potential upside.

Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,260,133 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 93,677 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned about 0.09% of Unilever worth $134,591,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock worth $599,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in shares of Unilever by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 16,872 shares of the company's stock worth $956,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Unilever by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 527,458 shares of the company's stock worth $29,907,000 after buying an additional 88,404 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 95,809 shares of the company's stock worth $5,434,000 after buying an additional 34,522 shares during the period. Finally, MGO One Seven LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 28.0% during the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 38,546 shares of the company's stock worth $2,186,000 after buying an additional 8,425 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE:UL traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $62.48. 1,287,143 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,502,695. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $61.06 and a 200 day moving average of $60.78. The stock has a market cap of $153.31 billion, a PE ratio of 17.91, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.38.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 59.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $73.00.

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.