Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Wellington Management Group LLP

Wellington Management Group LLP cut its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,679,388 shares of the company’s stock after selling 334,872 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP owned 1.00% of Unilever worth $1,399,321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 14.8% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 15,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,009,000 after buying an additional 2,001 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Unilever by 26.0% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 151,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,811,000 after acquiring an additional 31,186 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Unilever by 1,515.0% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 57,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,709,000 after purchasing an additional 53,555 shares during the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 5.0% in the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 45,748 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,972,000 after purchasing an additional 2,160 shares during the period. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the third quarter worth about $11,694,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock opened at $59.18 on Monday. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87. The firm has a market cap of $146.60 billion, a PE ratio of 16.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $57.61 and its 200 day moving average is $59.21.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $0.4674 dividend. 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 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.