8,425 Shares in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Purchased by Two Sigma Securities LLC

Two Sigma Securities LLC acquired a new position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 8,425 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $478,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Mainstream Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on UL shares. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL opened at $62.61 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $51.34 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $59.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $58.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $0.5151 dividend. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.29%. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.01%.

About Unilever

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.