New York State Common Retirement Fund Acquires 169,793 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 234.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 242,094 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 169,793 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund's holdings in Unilever were worth $15,726,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in Unilever by 423.8% during the second quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 529 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 393.5% during the second 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 period. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Unilever in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Unilever in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Unilever by 202.5% in the third quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 605 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 405 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $67.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Bank of America raised Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, UBS Group raised Unilever to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $61.75.

Unilever Price Performance

UL traded down $2.39 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $59.27. 2,201,300 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,593,876. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $63.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $59.00. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a $0.4755 dividend. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%.

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.