Sage Investment Counsel LLC Invests $434,000 in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Sage Investment Counsel LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 7,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $434,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

UL opened at $56.61 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $56.59 and a 200-day moving average of $59.93. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.46 and a 1-year high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Unilever 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.