QRG Capital Management Inc. Decreases Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

QRG Capital Management Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 3.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 226,120 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,988 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $13,465,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $176,806,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 140.1% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $210,883,000 after purchasing an additional 2,170,242 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock worth $1,017,253,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214,563 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 401.5% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,465,523 shares of the company's stock worth $83,095,000 after purchasing an additional 1,173,298 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of UL traded down $0.56 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $62.22. The company had a trading volume of 1,956,590 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,475,266. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $54.32 and a 12-month high of $65.87. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $62.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.47. The company has a market capitalization of $152.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.83, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.43.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a $0.5151 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.31%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.