Investment Research Partners LLC Takes $508,000 Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Investment Research Partners LLC bought a new stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 8,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $508,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its position in shares of Unilever by 108.8% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 141.3% in the 3rd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE UL opened at $62.37 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.97. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $61.78 and a 12 month high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.5547 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. DZ Bank cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.