Greenwood Capital Associates LLC Buys 3,223 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Greenwood Capital Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 9.3% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 37,940 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,223 shares during the quarter. Greenwood Capital Associates LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $2,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew 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 period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its position in Unilever by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 9,432 shares of the company’s stock worth $535,000 after purchasing an additional 1,118 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 17.2% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 19,657 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,115,000 after purchasing an additional 2,887 shares during the period. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. BNP Paribas upgraded Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.67.

Unilever Trading Down 0.4%

Unilever stock opened at $62.91 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $62.53 and its 200-day moving average is $59.40. The company has a market capitalization of $154.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.02, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.43. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $54.32 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $0.5151 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Unilever’s payout ratio is presently 59.03%.

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.