Stablepoint Partners LLC Lowers Stake in Unilever PLC $UL

Stablepoint Partners LLC lessened its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 92,678 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,944 shares during the period. Stablepoint Partners LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $6,061,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the third quarter worth $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 108.8% in the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 141.3% during the 3rd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $68.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.53.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last released its 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 company had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on UL. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Argus raised shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets cut shares of 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 assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.