Two Sigma Advisers LP Acquires New Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Two Sigma Advisers LP purchased a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 34,900 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,979,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on UL shares. BNP Paribas raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective for the company. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $70.67.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UL traded up $0.27 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $63.84. The stock had a trading volume of 2,356,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,504,527. The firm has a market cap of $156.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $54.15 and a fifty-two week high of $65.87. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $61.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.06.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $0.5151 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.