Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Acquired by American Century Companies Inc.

American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,847,686 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 131,349 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned 0.11% of Unilever worth $161,464,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock worth $1,017,253,000 after acquiring an additional 1,214,563 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 66.4% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company's stock worth $195,881,000 after purchasing an additional 1,378,517 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $176,806,000. Hamlin Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,874,929 shares of the company's stock worth $163,008,000 after buying an additional 207,549 shares during the period. Finally, Equity Investment Corp grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 2,169,194 shares of the company's stock valued at $122,993,000 after buying an additional 36,922 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Remove Ads

Unilever Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE UL traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $58.10. 1,945,171 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,509,811. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.93 billion, a PE ratio of 16.65, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The company has a 50 day moving average of $57.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.40.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.22%. Unilever's payout ratio is 53.01%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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