Boston Common Asset Management LLC Has $11.16 Million Stock Position in Unilever PLC $UL

Boston Common Asset Management LLC lowered its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 18.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 170,680 shares of the company’s stock after selling 38,815 shares during the period. Boston Common Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $11,162,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the third quarter worth $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 108.8% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 141.3% in the 3rd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $59.95 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $68.00 and its 200-day moving average is $67.32. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $59.37 and a 52 week high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Kepler Capital Markets cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price objective on Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus 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.