Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Sells 539 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lowered its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 3.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,940 shares of the company’s stock after selling 539 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL’s holdings in Unilever were worth $700,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in UL. Allen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,415,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth $1,131,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the 1st quarter worth $863,000. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $867,000. Finally, Levin Capital Strategies L.P. raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 428,269 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,762,000 after purchasing an additional 112,677 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL traded up $1.65 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $60.73. The stock had a trading volume of 8,462,574 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,458,220. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $51.87. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $46.16 and a one year high of $60.89.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $58.33.

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.