Unilever PLC $UL Stake Boosted by Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC

Key Points

• Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its ownership in Unilever PLC by 10.7%, acquiring an additional 7,547 shares during the first quarter, bringing its total holdings to 78,118 shares valued at approximately $4.65 million.
• Unilever declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, a slight increase from the previous dividend of $0.52, with a yield of 3.3% as of the announcement.
• Analyst ratings for Unilever show a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a price target of $72.50, reflecting mixed ratings from various investment analysts.

Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 10.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 78,118 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,547 shares during the quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $4,652,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Unilever by 209.0% in the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on UL shares. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. CICC Research started coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. 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. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.00.

Unilever Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of Unilever stock traded down $0.2250 on Friday, hitting $63.0450. 2,322,970 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,276,153. The stock has a market cap of $154.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.06, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.38. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $54.32 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The firm's 50-day moving average is $61.07 and its 200 day moving average is $60.71.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a $0.5175 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is 59.31%.

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.