Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) by 63.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 55,596 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 21,554 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A.'s holdings in Unilever were worth $3,152,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock worth $1,017,253,000 after buying an additional 1,214,563 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 66.4% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company's stock worth $195,881,000 after acquiring an additional 1,378,517 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter worth $176,806,000. Hamlin Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.8% during the 4th 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 during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,847,686 shares of the company's stock valued at $161,464,000 after purchasing an additional 131,349 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research analysts have weighed in on UL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $66.33.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on UL
Unilever Stock Up 0.9 %
Shares of NYSE UL traded up $0.51 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $59.18. 3,362,355 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,531,628. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $46.46 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The company's 50 day moving average price is $57.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $59.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $146.60 billion, a PE ratio of 16.96, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47.
Unilever Cuts Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.4674 per share. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.01%.
About Unilever
(
Free Report)
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.
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