Capital Advisors Inc. OK Has $40.13 Million Stake in Unilever PLC $UL

Capital Advisors Inc. OK decreased its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 8.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 613,556 shares of the company’s stock after selling 57,905 shares during the quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK’s holdings in Unilever were worth $40,127,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,665,544 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,054,973,000 after purchasing an additional 2,935,227 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Unilever during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $144,979,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in Unilever by 13,906.2% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,268,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,465,000 after buying an additional 2,252,105 shares during the last quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $82,461,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in Unilever by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 22,537,917 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,048,000 after buying an additional 959,269 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $56.97 on Wednesday. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $55.65 and a 1-year high of $74.97. The business’s 50 day moving average is $67.84 and its 200-day moving average is $67.22.

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

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%.

Key Unilever News

Here are the key news stories impacting Unilever this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Activist/institutional support: Artisan Partners publicly backed Unilever’s plan to sell/merge its Foods unit, which reduces shareholder opposition risk and increases the likelihood the board’s strategy will proceed. Exclusive: Investor Artisan Partners backs Unilever’s plan to sell food unit
• Positive Sentiment: Immediate cash to Unilever and strategic refocus: The deal includes an upfront cash component (~$15.7B reported) plus McCormick equity, which would give Unilever liquidity and allow management to concentrate on higher-margin personal care and home-care brands. That repositioning could unlock long-term value for UL shareholders. Unilever and McCormick agree to food business deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Deal structure and size remain mixed signals: reports describe a cash-and-stock combination valuing the combined business at $60–65B, with most consideration in McCormick equity — that leaves uncertainty about exact cash flows to UL holders and future ownership stakes. Unilever and McCormick Reach Deal Creating a $65 Billion Food Giant—Here’s What Investors Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: McCormick market action and valuation dynamics: McCormick shares have been volatile and seen as “deep-value” by some analysts after the deal news — movements in MKC will directly affect the equity component Unilever shareholders receive. McCormick & Company Falls to Value Levels Income Investors Love
• Negative Sentiment: Execution, dilution and regulatory risk: The size and cross-border nature of the transaction raise integration and antitrust risks, and analysts warn share dilution/valuation mismatch could pressure UL’s near-term share price. Unilever confirms $44.8B acquisition of McCormick
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term operational headwinds: Unilever announced a three-month global hiring pause citing challenges from the Middle East conflict, signaling cost and growth headwinds that could weigh on sentiment independently of the deal. Unilever enforces global hiring pause due to ‘significant challenges’ amid Middle East conflict

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. DZ Bank downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. One equities research 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever presently 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.