Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Sapient Capital LLC

Sapient Capital LLC reduced its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 44.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 6,668 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,350 shares during the quarter. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $367,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $2,415,000. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $1,131,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the first quarter worth about $863,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $867,000. Finally, Levin Capital Strategies L.P. boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 35.7% in the fourth quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 428,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,762,000 after buying an additional 112,677 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE:UL traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $60.35. 1,281,627 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,824,490. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.84. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $46.16 and a 52 week high of $62.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $151.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.46.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.79%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group raised Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Argus upped their target price on Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. Redburn Atlantic raised Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 7th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Unilever in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.33.

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.