Rhumbline Advisers Increases Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 1.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 56,706 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 704 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in Unilever were worth $3,118,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $151,263,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $771,000. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Unilever by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 717,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,765,000 after acquiring an additional 26,848 shares in the last quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 6,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 542 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $541,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock opened at $64.84 on Wednesday. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $46.16 and a 52 week high of $65.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $61.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.48.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.94%. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UL has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 7th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $61.75.

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.