Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by St. James Investment Company LLC

St. James Investment Company LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 651,918 shares of the company’s stock after selling 81,205 shares during the quarter. Unilever accounts for about 5.1% of St. James Investment Company LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. St. James Investment Company LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $31,605,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UL. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 111.5% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 552 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 215.1% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 51.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $46.65. 1,321,765 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,699,056. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.59. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.16 and a 12 month high of $55.99.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.4582 per share. This represents a $1.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.93%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 22nd.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.