Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Increases Stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. raised its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 54,981 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,767 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $3,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $66.33.

Unilever Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of UL stock traded up $1.14 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $57.74. The stock had a trading volume of 2,247,123 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,522,094. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $56.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.90. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $143.28 billion, a PE ratio of 16.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.50.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.24%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Unilever's payout ratio is 53.01%.

Unilever Company 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.