Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Purchased by V Square Quantitative Management LLC

V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 31.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 7,607 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,835 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $433,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of UL. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in Unilever by 7.0% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 39,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,568,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 185 shares in 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 worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC raised its position in Unilever by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 8,970 shares of the company’s stock worth $495,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Trading Down 1.9 %

UL stock opened at $54.89 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.30. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

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 given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. 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. Finally, StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

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.