Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by St. James Investment Company LLC

St. James Investment Company LLC lowered its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 645,946 shares of the company’s stock after selling 30,991 shares during the quarter. Unilever makes up approximately 6.3% of St. James Investment Company LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. St. James Investment Company LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $36,625,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 14.8% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 15,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,009,000 after acquiring an additional 2,001 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Unilever by 26.0% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 151,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,811,000 after purchasing an additional 31,186 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Unilever by 1,515.0% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 57,090 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,709,000 after purchasing an additional 53,555 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 45,748 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,972,000 after purchasing an additional 2,160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at $11,694,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $59.18 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $146.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a 50 day moving average of $57.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.21. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.4674 per share. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.01%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the topic of several research reports. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.33.

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.