Cozad Asset Management Inc. Acquires 746 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Cozad Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 7.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,651 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 746 shares during the quarter. Cozad Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $604,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 7.2% during the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,647,000 after buying an additional 1,713 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 14.2% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,405 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,755,000 after acquiring an additional 5,263 shares in the last quarter. Claro Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 27.9% during the 3rd quarter. Claro Advisors LLC now owns 9,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $596,000 after acquiring an additional 2,005 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in Unilever by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 15,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,009,000 after purchasing an additional 2,001 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. bought a new position in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $203,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $66.33.

Unilever Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $59.73 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.23 billion, a PE ratio of 17.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. Unilever PLC has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $57.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.62.

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 given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. 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 currently 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.