Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 54,981 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,767 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $3,117,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE UL opened at $56.61 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $140.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.22, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.50. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $56.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $59.93.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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 Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.33.

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.