Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Sells 17,119 Shares of Unitil Co. (NYSE:UTL)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Unitil Co. (NYSE:UTL - Free Report) by 9.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 172,212 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 17,119 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 1.06% of Unitil worth $9,332,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wernau Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Unitil in the fourth quarter worth about $2,673,000. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in Unitil by 8,333.3% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,024 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Unitil by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC now owns 31,181 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,690,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Unitil by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 9,286 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $503,000 after buying an additional 389 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Unitil by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 203,475 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $11,026,000 after purchasing an additional 2,130 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.76% of the company's stock.

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Unitil Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of UTL traded up $0.87 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $56.02. 46,407 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 57,721. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Unitil Co. has a 1-year low of $47.40 and a 1-year high of $63.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $910.10 million, a PE ratio of 19.12 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a fifty day moving average of $55.22 and a 200-day moving average of $56.90.

Unitil Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 13th. This is a positive change from Unitil's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Unitil's payout ratio is currently 61.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Unitil in a report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Unitil Profile

Unitil Corporation, a public utility holding company, engages in the distribution of electricity and natural gas. It operates through two segments, Utility Electric Operations, Utility Gas Operations. The company distributes electricity in the southeastern seacoast and state capital regions of New Hampshire, and the greater Fitchburg area of north central Massachusetts; and distributes natural gas in southeastern New Hampshire and portions of southern and central Maine, including the city of Portland and the Lewiston-Auburn area, as well as electricity and natural gas in the greater Fitchburg area of north central Massachusetts.