Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Avantax Planning Partners Inc.

Avantax Planning Partners Inc. cut its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 7.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 5,222 shares of the company’s stock after selling 443 shares during the period. Avantax Planning Partners Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $296,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.3% during 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 raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 66.4% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $195,881,000 after buying an additional 1,378,517 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $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 worth $163,008,000 after buying an additional 207,549 shares during the period. Finally, Equity Investment Corp raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 2,169,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,993,000 after buying an additional 36,922 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $59.07 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $56.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.76. The stock has a market cap of $146.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.92, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $66.33.

About Unilever

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.