Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Acquires 28,109 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

Key Points

• Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Unilever PLC by 16.7% during the first quarter, boosting its total shares to 196,202, valued at approximately $11.68 million.
• Unilever recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, raising the annualized dividend to $2.07, which yields 3.3%.
• Research analysts have mixed views on Unilever, with two rating it as a Strong Buy and a consensus price target of $73.00 per share.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 16.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 196,202 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 28,109 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $11,684,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 5.4% during the 4th 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. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 95,809 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,434,000 after purchasing an additional 34,522 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 36.1% during the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 16,058 shares of the company's stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 4,259 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $478,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $2,381,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of UL traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $62.55. 1,599,849 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,504,922. The company has a market cap of $153.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.38. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $54.32 and a fifty-two week high of $65.87. The firm's fifty day moving average is $61.06 and its 200 day moving average is $60.78.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. 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%. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 59.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on UL. CICC Research began coverage on Unilever in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.00.

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.