Hyman Charles D Cuts Stock Holdings in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL)

Hyman Charles D lessened its stake in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 60,570 shares of the company’s stock after selling 500 shares during the quarter. Hyman Charles D’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $4,828,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vest Financial LLC raised its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 370,071 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,498,000 after buying an additional 74,337 shares during the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. grew its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 22.1% in the 4th quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,383 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 10,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $864,000 after buying an additional 910 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP raised its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 4,053,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $323,115,000 after acquiring an additional 49,980 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,170 shares of the company’s stock valued at $571,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

NYSE CL traded up $0.90 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $94.08. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,987,097 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,665,950. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.21. Colgate-Palmolive has a 1 year low of $67.62 and a 1 year high of $94.21. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $88.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $82.63. The company has a market capitalization of $77.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.77, a PEG ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.40.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 26th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 485.40% and a net margin of 13.22%. The firm had revenue of $5.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.73 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 22nd will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 19th. This is a boost from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is currently 63.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CL shares. Raymond James raised shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $91.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $93.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $91.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In related news, insider Jennifer Daniels sold 5,790 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.96, for a total value of $486,128.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 63,236 shares in the company, valued at $5,309,294.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Colgate-Palmolive news, CEO Noel R. Wallace sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.15, for a total transaction of $4,157,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 274,179 shares in the company, valued at $22,797,983.85. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Jennifer Daniels sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.96, for a total value of $486,128.40. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 63,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,309,294.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 159,048 shares of company stock worth $13,336,846 over the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.