VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Sells 64,100 Shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al reduced its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,268,600 shares of the company’s stock after selling 64,100 shares during the quarter. Colgate-Palmolive accounts for 0.6% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $100,245,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Copia Wealth Management bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 300.0% during the 4th quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

CL opened at $87.54 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.33. The company has a market cap of $70.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.06, a PEG ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 0.31. The company’s 50 day moving average is $86.76 and its 200 day moving average is $84.51. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12-month low of $74.54 and a 12-month high of $99.33.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 386.76%. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.83 EPS for the current year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is presently 82.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 15,000 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.81, for a total transaction of $1,467,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,018,691.15. The trade was a 59.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on CL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $99.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, March 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, May 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $100.00 price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.88.

Colgate-Palmolive Profile

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.