Sigma Planning Corp Sells 32,222 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Sigma Planning Corp lowered its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 71.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 12,615 shares of the company’s stock after selling 32,222 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Unilever were worth $612,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its holdings in Unilever by 51.5% in the third quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 2.4% in the third quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC now owns 9,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $448,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 9,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc increased its holdings in Unilever by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 6,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baystate Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 29.9% in the fourth quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 948 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $48.08 on Thursday. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.16 and a 1 year high of $55.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $49.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.52.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $0.4582 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $1.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.81%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley cut Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $52.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.00.

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.