Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Acquires 18,019 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 2.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 673,983 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 18,019 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $40,136,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. TrueMark Investments LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 1st quarter worth $1,179,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 0.8% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 87,674 shares of the company's stock worth $5,221,000 after buying an additional 731 shares during the period. Comprehensive Money Management Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the first quarter worth about $218,000. Absher Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 6.5% during the first quarter. Absher Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,218 shares of the company's stock worth $311,000 after buying an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stonegate Investment Group LLC raised its position in Unilever by 69.7% in the 1st quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 14,282 shares of the company's stock valued at $850,000 after buying an additional 5,867 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on UL shares. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $70.67.

Unilever Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:UL traded down $0.64 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $60.65. The stock had a trading volume of 2,523,956 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,490,818. The company has a market cap of $148.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.38, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.43. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.32 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $62.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.60.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a dividend of $0.5151 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.40%. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 59.03%.

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.