Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Advocate Group LLC

Advocate Group LLC cut its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 6.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 123,119 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,871 shares during the period. Advocate Group LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $7,332,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UL. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of UL traded up $0.02 on Tuesday, reaching $62.37. The stock had a trading volume of 4,008,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,481,495. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $153.08 billion, a PE ratio of 17.87, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $62.98 and a 200 day moving average of $59.56.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were given a $0.5151 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.