River Road Asset Management LLC Lowers Position in Unilever PLC $UL

River Road Asset Management LLC cut its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 557,765 shares of the company’s stock after selling 34,400 shares during the quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $32,590,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake 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 worth $1,673,381,000 after acquiring an additional 3,421,054 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Unilever by 65.1% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 232,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,821,000 after purchasing an additional 91,511 shares during the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. boosted its stake in Unilever by 70.6% in the 1st quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 15,030 shares of the company’s stock worth $895,000 after purchasing an additional 6,220 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 211,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,996,000 after purchasing an additional 15,421 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Unilever by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,260,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,591,000 after purchasing an additional 93,677 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $60.59 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $60.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.42. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $54.32 and a 52-week high of $65.66.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on UL. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Unilever from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Unilever has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.00.

Unilever 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.