SPC Financial Inc. Grows Stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

SPC Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 7.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 5,258 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 383 shares during the quarter. SPC Financial Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $298,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 654,910 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,133,000 after purchasing an additional 15,392 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc grew its position in shares of Unilever by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 55,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,120,000 after purchasing an additional 4,399 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of Unilever by 351.1% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 77,150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,374,000 after purchasing an additional 60,049 shares during the last quarter. Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Pinion Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $524,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $58.38 on Thursday. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $56.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $59.86. The firm has a market cap of $144.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.4674 per share. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.20%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.