Unilever PLC $UL Holdings Lifted by SG Americas Securities LLC

Key Points

• SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 133.8% in Q4, owning 33,122 shares after adding 18,955 shares, valued at $2.166 million.
• Unilever reported earnings of $0.75 per share versus analysts' $1.75 estimate and revenue of $11.87 billion versus $31.39 billion expected, a significant miss for the quarter.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5547 (annualized $2.22) yielding about 4.0% payable April 10 (ex-dividend Feb 27), while analyst coverage remains mixed with a consensus "Hold" and a $65.55 price target.

SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 133.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,122 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,955 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $2,166,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 108.8% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 141.3% in the third quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 301 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL opened at $55.46 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $67.23 and a 200-day moving average of $66.94. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $54.95 and a 12-month high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.5547 dividend. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UL. Argus upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. DZ Bank lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $65.55.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever's corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever's business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.

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