Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Acquired by Stephens Inc. AR

Stephens Inc. AR increased its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 8.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 61,192 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,644 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in Unilever were worth $3,470,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 7.1% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 16,726,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,086,547,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,177 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 66.4% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company's stock valued at $195,881,000 after purchasing an additional 1,378,517 shares in the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,874,929 shares of the company's stock valued at $163,008,000 after purchasing an additional 207,549 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Unilever by 3.7% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,812,164 shares of the company's stock valued at $118,588,000 after purchasing an additional 63,835 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in Unilever by 493.4% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 1,105,064 shares of the company's stock valued at $71,785,000 after purchasing an additional 918,841 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UL. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE:UL traded down $1.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $54.89. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,502,253 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,635,918. The business's 50-day moving average is $57.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $60.35. The company has a market capitalization of $136.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.91, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.50. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Unilever's payout ratio is 54.49%.

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.