Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys 34,522 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 56.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 95,809 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 34,522 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $5,434,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Mainstream Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on UL shares. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock opened at $63.17 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $155.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $51.34 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $59.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $58.80.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.5151 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever's payout ratio is 59.03%.

Unilever 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.

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