Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Short Interest Down 44.7% in July

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,084,384 shares, a decline of 44.7% from the June 30th total of 1,960,873 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 3,827,998 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Unilever Trading Down 1.0%

NYSE:UL traded down $0.63 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $65.37. The stock had a trading volume of 7,835,614 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,450,169. Unilever has a twelve month low of $54.75 and a twelve month high of $74.97. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $59.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.33.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UL. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 3.2% in the first quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Invested Advisors raised its position in shares of Unilever by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Invested Advisors now owns 3,987 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Cohen Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Unilever by 2.9% in the first quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,753 shares of the company’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on UL. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered Unilever from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.