River Road Asset Management LLC Sells 93,220 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

River Road Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 14.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 548,011 shares of the company’s stock after selling 93,220 shares during the period. River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $35,599,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Unilever by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 51,958 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,833 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the first quarter valued at about $55,000. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 16.3% during the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 192,856 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,679,000 after purchasing an additional 27,065 shares during the period. United Community Bank grew its stake in Unilever by 19.9% during the first quarter. United Community Bank now owns 3,550 shares of the company’s stock worth $178,000 after buying an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 418,770 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,018,000 after buying an additional 2,318 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Trading Down 0.1 %

Unilever stock opened at $61.23 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $63.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.90. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.4755 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Bank of America upgraded Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. TD Cowen began coverage on Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.