Unilever PLC $UL Stake Lowered by Eastern Bank

Eastern Bank trimmed its position in shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) by 75.7% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 16,440 shares of the company’s stock after selling 51,279 shares during the quarter. Eastern Bank’s holdings in Unilever were worth $988,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Unilever by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 106,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,083,000 after purchasing an additional 8,407 shares during the last quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC now owns 87,709 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,997,000 after buying an additional 7,144 shares during the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $297,000. Essential Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 125.5% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eley Financial Management Inc increased its holdings in Unilever by 1.8% in the first quarter. Eley Financial Management Inc now owns 18,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,060,000 after buying an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $64.09 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $60.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.31. Unilever PLC has a 52 week low of $54.75 and a 52 week high of $74.97.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UL. Zacks Research raised shares of Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Unilever from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.