Unilever PLC $UL Position Raised by Empowered Funds LLC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Unilever PLC by 46.7% during the 1st quarter, now holding 62,424 shares valued at approximately $3.7 million.
• Unilever recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, which represents an annualized dividend of $2.07 and a yield of 3.3%.
• Analyst ratings for Unilever include a majority of “buy” and "strong-buy” ratings, with a consensus price target of $73.00.

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 46.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 62,424 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 19,883 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $3,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 209.0% during the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 1st quarter worth $63,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Trading Down 0.9%

Unilever stock traded down $0.54 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $62.35. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,485,815 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,136,980. The firm has a market cap of $152.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.87, a PEG ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $61.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $61.50. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.5175 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on UL shares. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $73.00.

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.