Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Rhumbline Advisers

Rhumbline Advisers lessened its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 8.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,192 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,899 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in Unilever were worth $3,073,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of UL. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 7.1% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 16,726,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,086,547,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,177 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 66.4% in the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $195,881,000 after buying an additional 1,378,517 shares in the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,874,929 shares of the company’s stock valued at $163,008,000 after buying an additional 207,549 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,812,164 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,588,000 after buying an additional 63,835 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,240,653 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,132,000 after acquiring an additional 190,753 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $56.61 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $140.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $56.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.93. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on UL. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded 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, two have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus 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.