Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Legacy Financial Advisors Inc.

Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 21.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,165 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,237 shares during the quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $590,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 51.1% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 672,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,239,000 after acquiring an additional 227,681 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Group LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC now owns 3,332,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $161,582,000 after purchasing an additional 47,256 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in Unilever by 3,718.5% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 171,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,321,000 after purchasing an additional 167,146 shares during the last quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. grew its holdings in Unilever by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 428,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,762,000 after buying an additional 112,677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $8,038,000. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE UL traded up $0.11 on Friday, reaching $52.13. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,413,133 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,468,891. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $46.16 and a twelve month high of $55.69. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $49.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.69.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Friday, May 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.4556 per share. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley cut Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $52.00 to $48.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.00.

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.