Yacktman Asset Management LP Sells 21,552 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Yacktman Asset Management LP lessened its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 7.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 250,411 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,552 shares during the period. Yacktman Asset Management LP's holdings in Unilever were worth $14,912,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UL. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Unilever by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 168,093 shares of the company's stock worth $9,531,000 after acquiring an additional 17,066 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $210,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in Unilever by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 467,492 shares of the company's stock worth $26,507,000 after acquiring an additional 9,718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its position in Unilever by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 7,000 shares of the company's stock worth $397,000 after acquiring an additional 767 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL traded up $0.64 on Thursday, hitting $61.44. 1,971,176 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,487,327. The company's 50 day moving average price is $62.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.80. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $54.32 and a one year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.60, a PEG ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.41.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.35%. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 59.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on UL. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.