Hartford Funds Management Co LLC Purchases 395 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Hartford Funds Management Co LLC raised its position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 3.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 13,220 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 395 shares during the period. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $859,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 423.8% in the 2nd quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 529 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Unilever by 393.5% during the second quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Webster Bank N. A. increased its position in Unilever by 54.3% in the second quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 617 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the third quarter worth about $35,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on UL shares. UBS Group upgraded Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Price Performance

UL stock opened at $58.61 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $61.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.60. Unilever PLC has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a $0.4755 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.25%. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35.

About Unilever

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.