Heartland Advisors Inc. Acquires 1,256 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Heartland Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 2.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 58,770 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,256 shares during the quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $2,950,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Marino Stram & Associates LLC grew its position in Unilever by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 9,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc lifted its stake in Unilever by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 6,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the period. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 21,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,048,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the period. Baystate Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 29.9% during the 4th quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 948 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the period. Finally, FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 1.7 %

NYSE:UL traded up $0.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $57.61. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,254,839 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,890,357. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.16 and a 1 year high of $57.83. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $55.07 and a 200-day moving average of $51.22.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th were issued a $0.4556 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Argus increased their price objective on shares of Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $54.00.

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.