Two Sigma Investments LP Acquires New Shares in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 175,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,934,000.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Unilever Trading Up 0.1%

Unilever stock traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $63.60. 884,392 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,502,453. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.02 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The company has a market cap of $156.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $61.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $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 given a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This is a positive change 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 dividend yield of 3.24%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.03%.

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.