Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Purchased by Hamlin Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Hamlin Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever PLC by 6.8%, acquiring an additional 195,931 shares, making Unilever the firm's 8th largest position with a total of 3,070,860 shares.
• Unilever recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, which is an increase from the previous dividend, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 3.3%.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Unilever, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $72.50, reflecting varying investor sentiment towards the company's stock.

Hamlin Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 6.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,070,860 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 195,931 shares during the period. Unilever makes up 4.4% of Hamlin Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Hamlin Capital Management LLC owned about 0.12% of Unilever worth $182,870,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in Unilever by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 78,055 shares of the company's stock worth $4,423,000 after buying an additional 3,579 shares during the period. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $442,000. SageView Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $351,000. Finally, Mariner LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 387,835 shares of the company's stock worth $21,990,000 after acquiring an additional 21,321 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $62.36 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $153.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.38. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $61.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.49. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.32 and a 52 week high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on UL shares. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective for the company. BNP Paribas upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.50.

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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