Blue Trust Inc. Sells 4,939 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Blue Trust Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 26.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,541 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,939 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $768,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UL. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UL traded up $0.73 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $55.65. 4,613,197 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,723,884. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $56.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.16. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.46 and a 1-year high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $61.75.

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.