Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,557 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,250 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $3,024,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Unilever by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,141,878 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,312,000 after purchasing an additional 214,635 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,180,000 after buying an additional 15,941 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 249.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,748,329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,204,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248,136 shares in the last quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the third quarter worth about $1,388,000. Finally, WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 236.2% in the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,997,000 after acquiring an additional 21,441 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.75.

Unilever Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $58.61 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $61.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.60. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $46.46 and a twelve month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.4755 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.25%.

Unilever 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.