tru Independence LLC Trims Stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

tru Independence LLC trimmed its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 6.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 91,976 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,795 shares during the period. Unilever accounts for 1.6% of tru Independence LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. tru Independence LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $5,215,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,180,000 after buying an additional 15,941 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth about $11,694,000. WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 236.2% in the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,997,000 after purchasing an additional 21,441 shares in the last quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,388,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 115,946 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,574,000 after purchasing an additional 6,092 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock opened at $57.63 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $57.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.38. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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