Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Acquired by Ritholtz Wealth Management

Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 4.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,368 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,495 shares during the quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Unilever were worth $2,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,672,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,417 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,830,250 shares of the company’s stock worth $525,051,000 after buying an additional 951,446 shares in the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 6,548,241 shares of the company’s stock worth $317,459,000 after buying an additional 329,705 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 4,132,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $207,416,000 after buying an additional 668,913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth $151,263,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Trading Down 0.4 %

Unilever stock opened at $64.79 on Monday. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $46.16 and a fifty-two week high of $65.17. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $59.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.22.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Bank of America raised shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 3rd. TD Cowen began coverage on Unilever in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Argus raised their target price on Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.