Short Interest in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Decreases By 16.6%

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,510,000 shares, a drop of 16.6% from the December 15th total of 3,010,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,120,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Approximately 0.1% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 6,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $366,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its position in shares of Unilever by 7.0% during the third quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 0.5% during the third quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 39,530 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,568,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. Alhambra Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 4,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Good Life Advisors LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Good Life Advisors LLC now owns 4,536 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Trading Up 1.4 %

NYSE UL traded up $0.78 on Thursday, reaching $55.50. The company had a trading volume of 1,801,125 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,219,202. The company’s fifty day moving average is $57.77 and its 200 day moving average is $60.31. Unilever has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a $0.4755 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.43%. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.75.

Unilever Company 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.