Unilever PLC $UL Stock Position Raised by Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC

Key Points

• Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC increased its stake in Unilever PLC by 41.2%, acquiring an additional 175,479 shares, bringing its total holdings to 601,727 shares valued at approximately $36.8 million.
• Unilever recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.5175, resulting in an annualized yield of 3.3% and a dividend payout ratio of 59.31%.
• Wall Street analysts hold a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Unilever, with a price target set at $73.00, reflecting optimism about the company’s growth potential.

Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC lifted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 41.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 601,727 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 175,479 shares during the quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $36,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UL. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Unilever by 33.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 934,804 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,668,000 after buying an additional 232,945 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Unilever by 13.9% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 28,100,442 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,673,381,000 after buying an additional 3,421,054 shares during the period. Stonegate Investment Group LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 69.7% in the 1st quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 14,282 shares of the company's stock valued at $850,000 after buying an additional 5,867 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Unilever by 65.1% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 232,096 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,821,000 after buying an additional 91,511 shares during the period. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. increased its stake in Unilever by 70.6% in the 1st quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 15,030 shares of the company's stock valued at $895,000 after buying an additional 6,220 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Trading Up 1.9%

NYSE:UL opened at $63.18 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $54.32 and a 1 year high of $65.66. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $61.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $61.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $155.03 billion, a PE ratio of 18.10, a PEG ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a $0.5175 dividend. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the topic of several analyst reports. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Sunday, August 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $73.00.

About Unilever

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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