Mezzasalma Advisors LLC Takes $298,000 Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Mezzasalma Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 5,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $298,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Red Tortoise LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever during the first quarter worth $26,000. Life Planning Partners Inc bought a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unilever during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 215.1% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 586 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its position in Unilever by 75.8% in the first quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock traded up $0.17 during trading on Thursday, hitting $54.99. The company had a trading volume of 921,672 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,062,526. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $46.16 and a one year high of $56.47. The business has a 50-day moving average of $54.44 and a 200-day moving average of $50.82.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th were given a dividend of $0.4556 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, June 27th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.