Unilever PLC $UL Stake Lessened by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC cut its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 15.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 189,792 shares of the company’s stock after selling 34,739 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $12,338,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 108.8% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 141.3% in the third quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on UL shares. Weiss Ratings cut Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on Unilever and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on Unilever and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $59.80 on Friday. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $59.75 and a 12-month high of $74.97. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.53.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The company had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.