Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. Cuts Stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. lowered its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 17.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,200 shares during the period. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $325,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stonegate Investment Group LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 155.2% during the 4th quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 8,415 shares of the company’s stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 5,117 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,180,000 after acquiring an additional 15,941 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,694,000. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 236.2% during the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,997,000 after acquiring an additional 21,441 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,388,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE UL opened at $56.30 on Tuesday. Unilever PLC has a twelve month low of $46.46 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $56.73 and a 200 day moving average of $60.04.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Three 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 given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $61.75.

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.