Rockland Trust Co. Sells 2,135 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Rockland Trust Co. cut its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 182,424 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,135 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $11,850,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of UL. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 2.9% during the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 38,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,531,000 after acquiring an additional 1,094 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. raised its position in Unilever by 34.6% in the 2nd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 8,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $469,000 after purchasing an additional 2,194 shares during the period. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership purchased a new position in Unilever in the 2nd quarter worth $8,030,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the second quarter valued at about $5,417,000. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 598.7% during the second quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,301,239 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,555,000 after buying an additional 1,114,992 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $62.91 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.67. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $46.16 and a 12-month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were paid a $0.4773 dividend. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Bank of America raised Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 7th. Three 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Company 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.