Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest in Unilever PLC declined by 21.1% in August, with a total of 3,360,000 shares short sold as of August 31st, representing 0.1% of the company's stock.
• The company's dividend was recently increased to $0.5175 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $2.07 and a dividend yield of 3.3%.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Unilever, with a price target of $73.00, reflecting a generally positive outlook on the stock's potential growth.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,360,000 shares, a decline of 21.1% from the August 15th total of 4,260,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,210,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,210,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock worth $599,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 47,847 shares of the company's stock worth $2,713,000 after buying an additional 457 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $9,934,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $1,979,000. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 27,106 shares of the company's stock worth $1,537,000 after buying an additional 1,370 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.00.

Unilever Price Performance

UL traded down $0.20 during trading on Friday, hitting $61.26. 2,471,206 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,116,739. Unilever has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The company has a market cap of $150.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.55, a PEG ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $61.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $61.56.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.31%.

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.