Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) is Equity Investment Corp’s 8th Largest Position

Equity Investment Corp increased its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,169,194 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 36,922 shares during the quarter. Unilever makes up 2.9% of Equity Investment Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Equity Investment Corp owned about 0.09% of Unilever worth $122,993,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its stake in Unilever by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.5% during the third quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 39,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,568,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its position in Unilever by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the period. Alhambra Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 4,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Phillips Wealth Planners LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 8,970 shares of the company’s stock worth $495,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

UL stock opened at $56.02 on Thursday. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $56.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.98.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.75.

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.