Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Increases Holdings in Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in Unilever PLC by 57.0% in the first quarter, owning 26,816 shares valued at approximately $1.6 million.
• Several institutional investors, including Financial Network Wealth Advisors and Russell Investments Group, also raised their stakes in Unilever, indicating strong investor interest.
• Unilever's stock is currently rated as a "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $72.50, despite recent analyst ratings being mixed.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 57.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 26,816 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 9,731 shares during the period. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,597,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Mission Wealth Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 11,497 shares of the company's stock worth $685,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 16,246 shares of the company's stock worth $967,000 after buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 21,492 shares of the company's stock worth $1,280,000 after buying an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 39,953 shares of the company's stock worth $2,379,000 after buying an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 35,729 shares of the company's stock worth $2,128,000 after buying an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Unilever Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE UL traded up $0.6450 on Tuesday, reaching $61.9350. The company had a trading volume of 1,991,425 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,354,531. The stock has a market capitalization of $151.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.38. The company's fifty day moving average is $61.06 and its 200 day moving average is $60.61. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $54.32 and a 52-week high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.5175 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Unilever's payout ratio is 59.31%.

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.