Auxano Advisors LLC Sells 807 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Auxano Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 3.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,813 shares of the company’s stock after selling 807 shares during the quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,154,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 51.5% in the third quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 2.4% in the third quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC now owns 9,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $448,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 9,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc grew its stake in Unilever by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 6,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baystate Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 29.9% in the fourth quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 948 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE UL traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $51.85. The stock had a trading volume of 3,004,271 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,896,154. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $49.12 and a 200 day moving average of $48.59. The stock has a market cap of $129.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.45. Unilever PLC has a 52-week low of $46.16 and a 52-week high of $55.77.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be issued a $0.4556 dividend. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 16th. Unilever’s payout ratio is presently 57.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on UL. Morgan Stanley lowered Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their target price for the company from $52.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. StockNews.com lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.