Hancock Whitney Corp Grows Position in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Hancock Whitney Corp lifted its holdings in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 34.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,792 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,737 shares during the period. Hancock Whitney Corp’s holdings in Unilever were worth $441,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its stake in 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 lifted 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 in the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Unilever during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Webster Bank N. A. boosted its stake in Unilever by 54.3% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of UL stock opened at $59.75 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $61.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.73. Unilever PLC has a 1-year low of $46.46 and a 1-year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th will be issued a $0.4755 dividend. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.18%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America raised shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $61.75.

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.