River Road Asset Management LLC Sells 99,502 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

River Road Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 18.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 452,487 shares of the company’s stock after selling 99,502 shares during the period. River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $29,593,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 108.8% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UL shares. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings cut Unilever from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Argus upgraded Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL stock opened at $58.40 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $63.08. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $54.75 and a one year high of $74.97.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.