Applied Finance Capital Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 9.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,799 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,284 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $726,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Mainstream Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE:UL opened at $57.87 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $143.36 billion, a PE ratio of 16.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $58.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $58.95.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were given a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $66.33.

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.