Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Acquired by National Bank of Canada FI

National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 388,007 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,781 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI's holdings in Unilever were worth $22,000,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Unilever by 26.0% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 151,027 shares of the company's stock worth $9,811,000 after purchasing an additional 31,186 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 1,515.0% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 57,090 shares of the company's stock worth $3,709,000 after purchasing an additional 53,555 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new position in Unilever in the third quarter worth about $1,188,000. IHT Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 49.9% in the third quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,781 shares of the company's stock worth $1,088,000 after buying an additional 5,583 shares during the period. Finally, Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,614,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $66.33.

Unilever Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:UL traded up $0.86 on Tuesday, reaching $58.76. The company had a trading volume of 2,162,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,782,380. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $58.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $145.57 billion, a PE ratio of 16.84, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.18%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.01%.

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.