Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Shares Sold by Flputnam Investment Management Co.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. cut its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 16.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,997 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,960 shares during the quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Unilever were worth $485,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $181,854,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter worth about $169,744,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 1,869.4% in the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,519,198 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,625,000 after buying an additional 1,442,059 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 35.3% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,748,095 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,556,000 after buying an additional 1,238,734 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Unilever by 29.4% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 3,793,258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,844,000 after purchasing an additional 861,988 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $46.69 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $49.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.56. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $46.16 and a 12-month high of $55.99.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd were paid a $0.4582 dividend. This represents a $1.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $52.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. StockNews.com upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.00.

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.