Welch Group LLC Grows Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Welch Group LLC boosted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 863,801 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,344 shares during the period. Unilever makes up approximately 2.2% of Welch Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $49,029,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 4.1% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 13,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $744,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the second quarter valued at about $594,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 2.9% during the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 38,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,531,000 after purchasing an additional 1,094 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 49.1% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 10,683 shares of the company’s stock worth $694,000 after purchasing an additional 3,517 shares during the period. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV raised its stake in Unilever by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 73,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,779,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL opened at $57.74 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $57.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.39. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on UL shares. StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $61.75.

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.