Edge Capital Group LLC Lowers Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Edge Capital Group LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 12.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,616 shares of the company’s stock after selling 686 shares during the period. Edge Capital Group LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $254,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allen Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,415,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the first quarter worth approximately $863,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $867,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Unilever by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,452,545 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,419,000 after acquiring an additional 90,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at $684,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. UBS Group upgraded Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price target for the company. Bank of America upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 3rd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:UL opened at $64.41 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $62.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.80. The company has a market cap of $161.23 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.48. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $46.16 and a twelve month high of $65.86.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.4773 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.96%. Unilever’s payout ratio is 54.81%.

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.