Washington Trust Bank Invests $262,000 in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Washington Trust Bank acquired a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 4,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $262,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Greenline Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $58,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE UL traded down $0.79 during trading on Friday, reaching $60.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 585,714 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,480,169. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The business's fifty day moving average price is $62.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.80. The firm has a market cap of $148.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.41.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.40%. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. Unilever's payout ratio is 59.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $70.67.

Unilever Company 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.