Gabelli Funds LLC Purchases 1,053 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

Gabelli Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 1.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 78,822 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,053 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $4,694,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 209.0% in the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. Finally, Accredited Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on UL. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $73.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $73.00.

Unilever Trading Down 0.2%

Unilever stock opened at $62.41 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $54.32 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $153.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $61.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.82.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.5175 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.31%.

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.