SBI Securities Co. Ltd. Takes Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 21,320 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,209,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its stake in Unilever by 7.0% during the third quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 39,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,568,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. lifted its stake in Unilever by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $320,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 4,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 8,970 shares of the company’s stock valued at $495,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.33.

Unilever Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of UL stock opened at $57.74 on Tuesday. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The company has a market cap of $143.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.54, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.50. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $56.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.90.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.24%. Unilever’s payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

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.