Unilever PLC $UL Stake Lessened by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lessened its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 15.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 189,792 shares of the company’s stock after selling 34,739 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $12,338,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pullen Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 0.6% in the third quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 28,386 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,683,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 1.9% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 9,873 shares of the company’s stock worth $585,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Unilever by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 40,080 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,376,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,777 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Townsend & Associates Inc boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Townsend & Associates Inc now owns 30,155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,903,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on UL. UBS Group restated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. DZ Bank lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE:UL opened at $59.80 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a fifty-two week low of $59.75 and a fifty-two week high of $74.97. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $68.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.53.

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

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.5547 dividend. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

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.