18,294 Shares in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Purchased by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 18,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,188,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 393.5% during the 2nd quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 202.5% in the 3rd quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 605 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Trading Down 0.9 %

UL stock traded down $0.51 on Friday, hitting $59.04. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,757,800 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,236,599. The stock has a market cap of $146.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $60.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.98. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a $0.4755 dividend. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is presently 56.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on UL shares. Bank of America raised Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $61.75.

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.