Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Acquired by Pinion Investment Advisors LLC

Pinion Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 139.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 22,142 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,892 shares during the period. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $1,319,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of UL. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Mainstream Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on UL shares. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $70.67.

Unilever Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of UL stock opened at $62.62 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $62.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.45. The firm has a market cap of $153.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.94, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.43. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.32 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were given a $0.5151 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.29%. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.03%.

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.

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