Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Flputnam Investment Management Co.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. lessened its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 10.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 12,117 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,435 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $687,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Unilever in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $57.74 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap 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. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $56.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $59.90. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $46.46 and a 12-month high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.24%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Two investment 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $66.33.

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.