Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Short Interest Update

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,510,000 shares, a drop of 16.6% from the December 15th total of 3,010,000 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 2,120,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.2 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL traded up $0.24 during trading on Friday, reaching $55.68. 3,801,419 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,047,655. The company has a 50 day moving average of $57.62 and a 200-day moving average of $60.28. Unilever has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a dividend of $0.4755 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.42%. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UL. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 393.5% during the 2nd quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 425 shares during the period. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Unilever by 202.5% during the third quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 605 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Unilever in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Coastline Trust Co acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Unilever

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.