Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Sunday.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $83.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $93.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.19.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CL opened at $85.31 on Friday. Colgate-Palmolive has a 1-year low of $74.54 and a 1-year high of $99.33. The business has a 50-day moving average of $91.13 and a 200-day moving average of $83.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $68.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.56, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.28.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 353.72% and a net margin of 10.45%.The company’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio is 80.92%.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In related news, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.25, for a total value of $1,978,213.25. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 17,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,663,041.25. This represents a 54.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total transaction of $1,506,320.53. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,306,757.53. This represents a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693 in the last ninety days. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Colgate-Palmolive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CL. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,442,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 182,223 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,399,000 after acquiring an additional 10,512 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 102.4% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 25,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,031,000 after acquiring an additional 13,007 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 13.6% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 541,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,789,000 after acquiring an additional 64,926 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 7,802.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 442,512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,497,000 after acquiring an additional 436,912 shares in the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company with a long history in household and personal care categories. The business traces its roots to the early 19th century and has evolved into a multinational manufacturer and marketer of everyday consumer goods focused on health, hygiene and home care.

The company’s core activities center on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Its product portfolio includes toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash in oral care; soaps, body washes and deodorants in personal care; dishwashing liquids, surface cleaners and other household products in home care; and scientifically formulated pet foods under its pet nutrition business.