Bridgewater Advisors Inc. Has $1.03 Million Stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 13.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 18,781 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,199 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,028,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UL. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 393.5% during the second quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 202.5% during the 3rd quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 605 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Coastline Trust Co acquired a new position in Unilever during the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock opened at $55.68 on Monday. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $46.46 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $60.32.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a $0.4755 dividend. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.42%. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.