Novem Group Takes Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Novem Group acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 7,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $397,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. May Hill Capital LLC bought a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $296,000. Auxano Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 30,840 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,749,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 155.2% during the 4th quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 8,415 shares of the company's stock valued at $477,000 after acquiring an additional 5,117 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Unilever by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 655,964 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,193,000 after acquiring an additional 9,528 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Argent Trust Co lifted its stake in Unilever by 34.2% during the 4th quarter. Argent Trust Co now owns 45,387 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,573,000 after acquiring an additional 11,555 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL opened at $63.31 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $155.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.14, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $61.40 and a 200 day moving average of $58.92. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $53.50 and a fifty-two week high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $0.5151 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's payout ratio is 59.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on UL. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $69.50.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.