First Trust Advisors LP Acquires 15,216 Shares of Unilever PLC $UL

First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 2.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 791,098 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 15,216 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Unilever were worth $46,896,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares during the period. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 548.5% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 668 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. increased its position in shares of Unilever by 46.3% during the third quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 692 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 2nd quarter valued at $50,000. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $65.13 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $68.60 and its 200 day moving average is $68.18. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $61.78 and a 1 year high of $74.97.

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

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on UL. DZ Bank cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Kepler Capital Markets cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings lowered Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Argus raised shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Unilever and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Company Profile

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.