Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and fourteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $93.83.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on CL shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Barclays increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $84.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Bank of America increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE:CL opened at $96.12 on Wednesday. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52 week low of $67.62 and a 52 week high of $99.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.86 billion, a PE ratio of 30.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $94.02 and a 200-day moving average of $87.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.21.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 26th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 485.40% and a net margin of 13.22%. The business had revenue of $5.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.73 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.53 EPS for the current year.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 19th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 19th. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, insider Sally Massey sold 12,226 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.06, for a total value of $1,149,977.56. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,924 shares in the company, valued at $1,309,691.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, insider John W. Kooyman sold 3,497 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.47, for a total transaction of $326,864.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $297,328.07. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 12,226 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.06, for a total transaction of $1,149,977.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,309,691.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Colgate-Palmolive

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vest Financial LLC raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 74,337 shares during the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 22.1% in the 4th quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 9.2% in the 4th 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 increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 4,053,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $323,115,000 after buying an additional 49,980 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,170 shares of the company’s stock valued at $571,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the period. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.