Scharf Investments LLC Sells 43,493 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Scharf Investments LLC lessened its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 1.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,542,872 shares of the company’s stock after selling 43,493 shares during the period. Unilever accounts for approximately 3.5% of Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Scharf Investments LLC owned about 0.10% of Unilever worth $127,627,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UL. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Unilever by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,672,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,417 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,843,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $525,716,000 after acquiring an additional 965,173 shares during the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 6,548,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $317,459,000 after acquiring an additional 329,705 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Unilever by 1.8% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,819,083 shares of the company’s stock worth $188,664,000 after acquiring an additional 67,190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Group LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC now owns 3,332,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $161,582,000 after acquiring an additional 47,256 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Down 0.6 %

Unilever stock traded down $0.33 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $55.35. 1,362,337 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,778,341. Unilever PLC has a 1 year low of $46.16 and a 1 year high of $56.47. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $53.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.56.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Friday, May 17th were issued a dividend of $0.4556 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Argus raised their price target on Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Redburn Atlantic raised Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $54.00.

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.