Todd Asset Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Todd Asset Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 32.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 41,319 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,058 shares during the quarter. Todd Asset Management LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $2,003,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 672,859 shares of the company's stock worth $33,239,000 after acquiring an additional 227,681 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC now owns 3,332,954 shares of the company's stock worth $161,582,000 after acquiring an additional 47,256 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 3,718.5% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 171,641 shares of the company's stock worth $8,321,000 after acquiring an additional 167,146 shares in the last quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 428,269 shares of the company's stock worth $20,762,000 after acquiring an additional 112,677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,038,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

UL stock traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $52.13. 4,413,133 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,468,891. The firm's 50-day moving average is $49.21 and its 200-day moving average is $48.69. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.16 and a 12 month high of $55.69.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.4556 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley downgraded Unilever from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $52.00 to $48.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $48.00.

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.