Banco Santander S.A. Makes New Investment in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Banco Santander S.A. purchased a new stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 9,010 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $585,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 23.1% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,141,878 shares of the company's stock worth $57,312,000 after purchasing an additional 214,635 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 16.9% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,180,000 after acquiring an additional 15,941 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in Unilever by 249.5% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,748,329 shares of the company's stock worth $98,204,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248,136 shares during the period. Radnor Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,388,000. Finally, WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 236.2% during the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,997,000 after purchasing an additional 21,441 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Bank of America raised Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of Unilever stock traded up $0.98 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $58.61. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,004,003 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,234,589. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $61.86 and a 200 day moving average of $59.65.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.4755 per share. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th.

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.