Unilever PLC $UL Stock Purchased by Factory Mutual Insurance Co.

Key Points

• Factory Mutual Insurance Co. increased its Unilever stake by 25.8% in the third quarter, adding 97,000 shares to hold 472,457 shares valued at about $28.7 million.
• Analyst opinions are mixed, with the stock carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $68.37; 7 analysts rate it Buy, 9 Hold and 2 Sell.
• Unilever shares opened at $64.80 on Wednesday, down 2.5%; the stock’s 52-week range is $54.75 to $74.97.

Factory Mutual Insurance Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 25.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 472,457 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 97,000 shares during the quarter. Factory Mutual Insurance Co.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $28,692,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 17.1% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,053 shares of the company's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 4.4% during the third quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,860 shares of the company's stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in shares of Unilever by 2.6% during the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 6,948 shares of the company's stock valued at $422,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 3.2% in the first quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,754 shares of the company's stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Analysts LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 5.3% in the second quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 3,748 shares of the company's stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on UL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. UBS Group reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Morningstar downgraded shares of Unilever to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $68.37.

Unilever Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $64.80 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.63. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $54.75 and a fifty-two week high of $74.97.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. It develops, markets and sells branded products used in households and personal care, with operations serving consumers across developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company's portfolio includes beauty and wellbeing products, personal care items, home care products, and foods and refreshments. Its brands include Dove, Vaseline, Axe, TRESemmé, Cif, OMO, Persil, Knorr, Hellmann's and Ben & Jerry's, although product offerings vary by market.

Unilever was formed in 1929 through the merger of British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie.

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