Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. Buys 5,938 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 7.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 81,652 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,938 shares during the period. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $4,629,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Unilever Trading Up 0.4%

UL traded up $0.24 during trading on Thursday, reaching $63.54. 2,144,515 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,507,602. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $53.50 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The stock has a market cap of $156.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.20, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $61.78 and a 200 day moving average of $59.02.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $0.5151 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.24%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.