Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Hennessy Advisors Inc.

Hennessy Advisors Inc. decreased its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 101,200 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,600 shares during the quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $5,738,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UL. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 16.9% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,180,000 after purchasing an additional 15,941 shares in the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $11,694,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 249.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,748,329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,204,000 after buying an additional 1,248,136 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 236.2% in the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,997,000 after acquiring an additional 21,441 shares during the period. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth $1,388,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Unilever Price Performance

UL opened at $55.68 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.69 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.27. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.46 and a 1-year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a $0.4755 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th.

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.