Perpetual Ltd Lowers Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Perpetual Ltd trimmed its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 10.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 36,909 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,351 shares during the quarter. Perpetual Ltd's holdings in Unilever were worth $2,198,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Mainstream Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 0.4%

UL opened at $60.92 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $62.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.62. The company has a market cap of $149.54 billion, a PE ratio of 17.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.43.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were given a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is 59.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $70.67.

About Unilever

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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