Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC Cuts Stake in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Prime Capital cut its Unilever stake by 40.7% in Q4, selling 18,314 shares and leaving 26,668 shares worth about $1.744 million.
• Several other institutions increased or initiated positions — including Natixis, HF Advisory, DAVENPORT and Munich Re — while hedge funds and institutional investors collectively hold roughly 9.67% of the stock.
• Analyst views are mixed (upgrades from DZ Bank and Argus, downgrades from Weiss and others) with a MarketBeat consensus of Hold and an average target of $65.55; the company also reported a recent EPS miss and paid a quarterly dividend equal to a $2.22 annualized payout (≈3.8% yield) amid strategic moves such as the Grüns supplements acquisition.

Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 40.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,668 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,314 shares during the quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $1,744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 3.1% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 1,247,467 shares of the company's stock worth $73,950,000 after purchasing an additional 37,630 shares in the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 37.3% during the fourth quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 78,400 shares of the company's stock worth $5,127,000 after purchasing an additional 21,313 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $5,003,000. HF Advisory Group LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 1,135.3% during the fourth quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 388,355 shares of the company's stock worth $25,398,000 after purchasing an additional 356,918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the third quarter worth about $82,461,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on UL shares. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Argus upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Kepler Capital Markets cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Trading Down 0.2%

UL stock opened at $58.35 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.95 and a 52 week high of $74.97. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.54.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%.

Trending Headlines about Unilever

Here are the key news stories impacting Unilever this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unilever agreed to buy U.S. supplements brand Grüns, signaling a clear push into beauty/wellbeing categories and building its nutrition/wellness footprint — a strategic fit for UL’s transition away from mainstream foods. Unilever to buy supplements brand Grüns With A $1.2 Billion Sale To Unilever
• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank upgraded UL from "hold" to "strong-buy", which can support the stock by validating management’s strategy and attracting buyers. DZ Bank upgrade / TickerReport
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis arguing the market is undervaluing Unilever’s shift to a higher‑quality HPC business suggests upside if the transition executes — a bullish narrative for longer‑term holders. Unilever: Market Undervaluing Its Transition
• Neutral Sentiment: Management continues to discuss a strategic separation of the foods business as part of the pivot to HPC — a transformational move that creates clarity but also execution risk and transitional costs. Strategic separation transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitors are taking note: McCormick’s CEO framed the food deals as competitive on flavour, underscoring that UL’s food moves will invite pushback and intensified competition in certain segments. McCormick CEO on Unilever food deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyses versus peers (e.g., Henkel) are circulating, giving investors more context on valuation and margin paths but not delivering a clear consensus. Critical Analysis: Unilever versus Henkel
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group cut earnings estimates for Unilever, and broader skepticism about near‑term earnings (including the company’s recent quarterly EPS miss) is pressuring the stock — analysts trimming forecasts is a direct headwind for shares. Erste Group Lowers Earnings Estimates

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever's corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever's business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.

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