Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. cut its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 23.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 53,243 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,072 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $2,928,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,672,275,000 after buying an additional 1,114,417 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,830,250 shares of the company’s stock worth $525,051,000 after acquiring an additional 951,446 shares in the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 6,548,241 shares of the company’s stock worth $317,459,000 after acquiring an additional 329,705 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 19.3% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 4,132,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $207,416,000 after acquiring an additional 668,913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $151,263,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $65.06 on Monday. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $46.16 and a fifty-two week high of $65.86. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $61.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $55.25.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This represents a $1.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Redburn Atlantic raised Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. UBS Group raised Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price target on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $61.75.

Unilever 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.