Equity Investment Corp Raises Stock Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Equity Investment Corp increased its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 2.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,996,952 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 46,801 shares during the period. Unilever accounts for approximately 2.3% of Equity Investment Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Equity Investment Corp owned approximately 0.09% of Unilever worth $120,057,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in UL. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on UL. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, July 6th. 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. Zacks Research upgraded Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $62.11 on Wednesday. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $54.75 and a twelve month high of $74.97. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.09.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.92 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.84 by ($0.92). The firm had revenue of $14.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.80 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Unilever PLC will post 3.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever 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.