Ycg LLC Reduces Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Ycg LLC decreased its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 44.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 162,668 shares of the company’s stock after selling 127,867 shares during the period. Ycg LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $8,945,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $151,263,000. Fiera Capital Corp raised its position in shares of Unilever by 1,866.0% during the 2nd quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 2,135,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,451,000 after buying an additional 2,027,221 shares during the period. Equity Investment Corp grew its position in Unilever by 107.1% in the first quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 2,910,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $146,091,000 after acquiring an additional 1,505,233 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Unilever by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,672,275,000 after acquiring an additional 1,114,417 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in Unilever by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,830,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $525,051,000 after purchasing an additional 951,446 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen began coverage on Unilever in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 3rd. UBS Group raised shares of Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of Unilever stock traded down $0.21 on Friday, reaching $65.25. 2,463,009 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,806,526. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $60.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.70. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.16 and a 1-year high of $65.72.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This represents a $1.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46.

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.