Merit Financial Group LLC Acquires 1,551 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Merit Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 29.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,797 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,551 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Malaga Cove Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. Malaga Cove Capital LLC now owns 8,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 541 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its position in shares of Unilever by 42.9% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 16,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $815,000 after acquiring an additional 5,042 shares during the period. Smart Money Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $233,000. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 428,269 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,762,000 after purchasing an additional 112,677 shares during the period. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. lifted its stake in Unilever by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 9,116 shares of the company’s stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $52.69 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $49.30 and its 200-day moving average is $48.75. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.16 and a 1-year high of $55.08.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be given a dividend of $0.4556 per share. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 16th.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $52.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. StockNews.com upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $54.00.

Unilever Company 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.