Unilever PLC $UL Shares Acquired by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Unilever PLC by 7.9%, owning 211,767 shares worth approximately $12.99 million after acquiring 15,421 additional shares in the second quarter.
• Unilever recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.5175, marking a slight increase from the previous dividend and providing an annualized yield of 3.4%.
• Analysts have given mixed ratings for Unilever, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $73.00.

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 211,767 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,421 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $12,996,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the first quarter worth about $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Unilever by 209.0% in the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at about $63,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Three 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $73.00.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $61.26 on Monday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $61.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.60. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.32 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $150.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.5175 dividend. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.31%.

Unilever 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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