PDS Planning Inc Raises Stock Position in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

PDS Planning Inc grew its position in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,357 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,267 shares during the period. PDS Planning Inc’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $4,742,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wyrmwood Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 636.6% during the fourth quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the period. Finally, Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 206.6% during the fourth quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 1.5 %

NYSE PG traded up $2.42 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $160.56. 8,925,924 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,958,951. The business’s 50-day moving average is $159.14 and its 200-day moving average is $153.02. The Procter & Gamble Company has a twelve month low of $141.45 and a twelve month high of $163.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $377.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.44.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 19th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.10. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.77% and a net margin of 18.00%. The firm had revenue of $20.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.43 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be paid a $1.0065 dividend. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.51%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.94. Procter & Gamble’s payout ratio is presently 65.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on PG. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $168.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $168.76.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In related news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 101,704 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.57, for a total value of $15,618,683.28. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 163,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,097,637.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Procter & Gamble news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 101,704 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.57, for a total value of $15,618,683.28. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 163,428 shares in the company, valued at $25,097,637.96. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Ma. Fatima Francisco sold 74,443 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.30, for a total transaction of $11,412,111.90. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $149,160.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 279,063 shares of company stock worth $43,187,745. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Profile

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.