Natixis Advisors LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Unilever PLC $UL

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 3.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,247,467 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 37,630 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $73,950,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company’s stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 4.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 35,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,085,000 after buying an additional 1,587 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Unilever by 79.1% in the 2nd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 736 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC increased its position in Unilever by 38.7% in the 2nd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 27,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,704,000 after acquiring an additional 7,772 shares during the period. Finally, Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 5,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $363,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of UL stock opened at $66.81 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $68.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.27. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $61.78 and a 1 year high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.55.

Unilever Company Profile

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.