Horizon Investments LLC Purchases 16,266 Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Horizon Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 94.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 33,546 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,266 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC’s holdings in Unilever were worth $1,902,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Mainstream Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Unilever stock opened at $58.70 on Wednesday. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.46 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $145.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. The company’s 50-day moving average is $57.09 and its 200 day moving average is $59.58.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.19%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $66.33.

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.