Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Stock Holdings Trimmed by Equity Investment Corp

Equity Investment Corp trimmed its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 2.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,132,272 shares of the company’s stock after selling 43,777 shares during the quarter. Unilever comprises approximately 3.2% of Equity Investment Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Equity Investment Corp’s holdings in Unilever were worth $138,512,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Unilever by 26.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,384,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,145,000 after acquiring an additional 911,443 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 19.3% in the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 4,132,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $207,416,000 after acquiring an additional 668,913 shares during the last quarter. Saratoga Research & Investment Management lifted its holdings in Unilever by 0.8% in the second quarter. Saratoga Research & Investment Management now owns 2,767,207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,169,000 after acquiring an additional 22,325 shares during the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 7.9% in the third quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,667,380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,273,000 after acquiring an additional 194,165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fiera Capital Corp lifted its holdings in Unilever by 1,866.0% in the second quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 2,135,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,451,000 after acquiring an additional 2,027,221 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $57.40 on Monday. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The business’s 50 day moving average is $62.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $59.45.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a $0.4755 dividend. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on UL shares. TD Cowen started coverage on Unilever in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America upgraded Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, UBS Group raised Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.