Rockland Trust Co. Has $10.04 Million Stock Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Rockland Trust Co. lessened its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 5.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 168,600 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,403 shares during the quarter. Rockland Trust Co.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $10,040,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $176,806,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 140.1% in the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $210,883,000 after acquiring an additional 2,170,242 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,017,253,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214,563 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 401.5% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of UL traded down $1.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $62.62. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,987,927 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,481,623. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $54.32 and a 1 year high of $65.87. The company has a market cap of $153.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a fifty day moving average of $62.64 and a 200 day moving average of $59.43.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 59.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. Finally, DZ Bank raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently 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.