Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Acquires 79,451 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 48.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 242,399 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 79,451 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS's holdings in Unilever were worth $13,744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 981.6% during the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,076,169 shares of the company's stock worth $134,868,000 after buying an additional 1,884,216 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.1% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 16,726,400 shares of the company's stock worth $1,086,547,000 after acquiring an additional 1,114,177 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 493.4% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 1,105,064 shares of the company's stock worth $71,785,000 after purchasing an additional 918,841 shares in the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 7,466.0% during the third quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 629,569 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,897,000 after purchasing an additional 621,248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canoe Financial LP bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the third quarter valued at approximately $23,488,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank reiterated 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $61.75.

Unilever Trading Up 1.1 %

NYSE UL traded up $0.60 on Friday, reaching $56.14. The company had a trading volume of 2,742,748 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,727,069. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $46.46 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The stock's 50 day moving average is $56.79 and its 200-day moving average is $60.09.

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 paid a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.33%.

Unilever 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.