Unilever PLC $UL Shares Sold by Cardinal Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Cardinal Capital trimmed its stake in Unilever by 11.5% in Q4, selling 49,626 shares and leaving it with 383,058 shares valued at about $25.05 million.
• Unilever's latest quarter missed estimates, reporting $0.75 EPS versus $1.75 expected and revenue of $11.87 billion versus a $31.39 billion consensus.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5547 per share (annualized $2.22, ~3.8% yield), payable April 10 with an ex-dividend date of February 27.

Cardinal Capital Management Inc. lessened its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 11.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 383,058 shares of the company's stock after selling 49,626 shares during the period. Cardinal Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $25,052,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of UL. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 141.3% during the 3rd 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

NYSE:UL opened at $58.40 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.95 and a twelve month high of $74.97. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.42 and a 200-day moving average of $66.62.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. Analysts forecast that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.5547 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on UL. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. DZ Bank cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average 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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