Jennison Associates LLC Raises Holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 981.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,076,169 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,884,216 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC owned 0.08% of Unilever worth $134,868,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Bank of America raised shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price target for the company. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group upgraded Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $57.86 on Wednesday. Unilever PLC has a 12-month low of $46.46 and a 12-month high of $65.87. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $62.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.53.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.4755 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%.

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.