Unilever PLC $UL Shares Acquired by Value Partners Investments Inc.

Value Partners Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 9.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,322 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,364 shares during the period. Value Partners Investments Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $936,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 13.9% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 28,100,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,673,381,000 after buying an additional 3,421,054 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Unilever by 7,286.5% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 781,713 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,551,000 after acquiring an additional 771,130 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at about $45,413,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Unilever by 764.5% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 775,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,185,000 after acquiring an additional 685,848 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Factory Mutual Insurance Co. acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,533,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

Unilever stock opened at $62.90 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $61.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.42. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $54.32 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The company has a market cap of $154.32 billion, a PE ratio of 18.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. CICC Research initiated coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Sunday, August 3rd. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.00.

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.