Perpetual Ltd Lowers Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Perpetual Ltd reduced its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 34.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 41,260 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,247 shares during the period. Perpetual Ltd’s holdings in Unilever were worth $2,339,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 393.5% in the second quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Unilever in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Unilever by 202.5% during the 3rd quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 605 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Coastline Trust Co acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $56.95 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.36. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $46.46 and a 12-month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were paid a $0.4755 dividend. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UL. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.