Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV Reduces Stock Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV trimmed its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 25.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 149,711 shares of the company's stock after selling 50,956 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV's holdings in Unilever were worth $8,489,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $176,806,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 140.1% during the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $210,883,000 after buying an additional 2,170,242 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 66.4% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company's stock worth $195,881,000 after buying an additional 1,378,517 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock worth $1,017,253,000 after acquiring an additional 1,214,563 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Down 0.0 %

UL stock traded down $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $62.55. 1,204,200 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,531,351. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $60.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $58.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $154.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.92, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $53.04 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $0.5151 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on UL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $69.50.

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.