Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Purchased by ST Germain D J Co. Inc.

ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 217.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,729 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,868 shares during the quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $155,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,291,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Unilever by 218.9% in the fourth quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,456 shares of the company’s stock valued at $650,000 after buying an additional 7,864 shares during the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank boosted its position in Unilever by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 9,108 shares of the company’s stock worth $516,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Range Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 216.2% in the 4th quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 10,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $579,000 after acquiring an additional 6,984 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co grew its stake in Unilever by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 6,359 shares of the company’s stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 653 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $55.14 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $58.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $136.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.61, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.49.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were paid a $0.4755 dividend. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.45%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UL. StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average 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.