GAMMA Investing LLC Buys 771,130 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 7,286.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 781,713 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 771,130 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $46,551,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Unilever by 1,022.6% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 11,159 shares of the company's stock valued at $665,000 after acquiring an additional 10,165 shares during the period. Marcum Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 7.2% during the first quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 11,230 shares of the company's stock worth $669,000 after purchasing an additional 752 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLC increased its position in Unilever by 5.5% during the first quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 13,329 shares of the company's stock worth $794,000 after buying an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 41.6% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 156,469 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,872,000 after buying an additional 45,941 shares during the period. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 143,017 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,109,000 after buying an additional 1,529 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Unilever Trading Down 0.1%

UL stock traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $63.00. 1,166,395 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,486,484. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $59.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $154.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.32 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $0.5151 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. Unilever's payout ratio is 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.