Unilever PLC $UL Shares Sold by Quadrant Capital Group LLC

Key Points

• Quadrant Capital Group LLC cut its stake in Unilever by 18.5% in Q3, selling 15,173 shares and retaining 67,002 shares valued at about $3.97 million.
• Unilever reported a significant quarterly earnings miss, with EPS of $0.75 versus $1.75 expected and revenue of $11.87 billion versus $31.39 billion expected.
• The company disclosed a quarterly dividend of $0.5547 (annualized $2.22) with an ex-dividend date of Feb. 27, representing a roughly 3.3% yield; the report frames this as a dividend cut.

Quadrant Capital Group LLC reduced its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 18.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 67,002 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,173 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $3,972,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC increased its position in Unilever by 141.3% during the third quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 548.5% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 668 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 565 shares during the period. Oakworth Capital Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 46.3% during the 3rd quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 692 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 2nd quarter worth $50,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL stock opened at $66.45 on Wednesday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $68.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.20. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $61.78 and a 52 week high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.39 billion. As a group, research analysts forecast that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UL. UBS Group reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Kepler Capital Markets downgraded Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. DZ Bank lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Argus raised Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Company Profile

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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