Townsquare Capital LLC Has $16.63 Million Stock Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Key Points

• Townsquare Capital LLC has reduced its holdings in Unilever PLC by 3.3%, owning 279,201 shares worth approximately $16.63 million after selling 9,628 shares during the 1st quarter.
• Unilever has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, marking a slight increase from its previous dividend, and representing a yield of 3.4%.
• Wall Street analysts show mixed sentiments on Unilever, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of approximately $72.50, reflecting various ratings from significantly sell to strong buy.

Townsquare Capital LLC lowered its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 3.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 279,201 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,628 shares during the quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $16,626,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the first quarter worth $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the first quarter worth $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Unilever by 209.0% during the first quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on UL. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. 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 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Sunday, August 3rd. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.50.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL traded down $0.27 on Friday, hitting $61.05. The stock had a trading volume of 2,120,505 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,386,603. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $61.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.42. The company has a market capitalization of $149.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.38.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.5175 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.03%.

Unilever 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.