Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Purchased by Levin Capital Strategies L.P.

Levin Capital Strategies L.P. lifted its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 35.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 428,269 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 112,677 shares during the quarter. Unilever comprises about 2.2% of Levin Capital Strategies L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Levin Capital Strategies L.P.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $20,762,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Citigroup Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 672,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,239,000 after purchasing an additional 227,681 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC now owns 3,332,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $161,582,000 after buying an additional 47,256 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 3,718.5% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 171,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,321,000 after buying an additional 167,146 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,038,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 762,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,946,000 after buying an additional 98,275 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on UL shares. Morgan Stanley lowered Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price objective for the stock 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 report on Wednesday. Three research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.00.

Unilever Trading Up 0.4 %

UL traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $52.06. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,123,659 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,885,524. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $46.16 and a fifty-two week high of $55.77. The business’s 50-day moving average is $49.15 and its 200-day moving average is $48.64.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be given a $0.4556 dividend. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th.

Unilever Company 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.