Bell Bank Buys 17,463 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Bell Bank boosted its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 18.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 111,816 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 17,463 shares during the quarter. Bell Bank’s holdings in Unilever were worth $6,340,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 7.0% during the third quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 39,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,568,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the last quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 4,586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 8,970 shares of the company’s stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $56.14 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The business has a fifty day moving average of $56.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.09.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on UL. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.