Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Stock Position Reduced by Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. cut its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 0.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 599,645 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,005 shares during the quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $34,000,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Unilever in the third quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on UL. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL opened at $59.73 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $148.23 billion, a PE ratio of 17.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $57.04 and its 200-day moving average is $59.62. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s payout ratio is 53.01%.

Unilever Company Profile

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.