Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Zevin Asset Management LLC

Zevin Asset Management LLC lowered its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 262,752 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,328 shares during the quarter. Unilever accounts for approximately 2.2% of Zevin Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Zevin Asset Management LLC's holdings in Unilever were worth $14,898,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth about $203,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 9,847 shares of the company's stock worth $640,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,299 shares of the company's stock worth $409,000 after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its position in shares of Unilever by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 18,844 shares of the company's stock worth $1,224,000 after purchasing an additional 663 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in shares of Unilever by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 34,042 shares of the company's stock worth $2,211,000 after purchasing an additional 12,763 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. 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. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $58.91. The stock had a trading volume of 1,890,917 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,517,950. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $57.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.58. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.46 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.17%. Unilever's payout ratio is currently 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.