Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Sells 15,603 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 13.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 103,007 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,603 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $6,759,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Asset Dedication LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 108.8% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Argus upgraded shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of UL stock opened at $58.38 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $61.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.42. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $54.95 and a one year high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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. Equities research analysts expect that Unilever PLC will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.5449 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%.

About Unilever

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.