Northcape Capital Pty Ltd Lowers Stock Holdings in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL)

Northcape Capital Pty Ltd lowered its position in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) by 16.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 14,362 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,759 shares during the quarter. Colgate-Palmolive makes up approximately 0.1% of Northcape Capital Pty Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Northcape Capital Pty Ltd’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $1,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CL. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,444,508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $185,376,000 after acquiring an additional 94,837 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 71.9% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,451 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,000 after purchasing an additional 1,025 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 8.5% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,882,813 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,774,000 after buying an additional 146,936 shares during the last quarter. First Western Trust Bank bought a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 1st quarter worth $569,000. Finally, Wsfs Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Colgate-Palmolive in the 1st quarter worth about $288,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE CL traded up $0.13 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $90.08. 801,094 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,650,989. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 0.42. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $85.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $78.98. Colgate-Palmolive has a 12 month low of $67.62 and a 12 month high of $90.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.59.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 26th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $4.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.89 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 11.82% and a return on equity of 509.75%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 19th. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on CL shares. UBS Group raised their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Bank of America upgraded Colgate-Palmolive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $90.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, March 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $93.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.31.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In related news, CEO Noel R. Wallace sold 69,948 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.22, for a total value of $5,891,020.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 286,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,161,117.82. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director C Martin Harris sold 2,760 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.50, for a total value of $233,220.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 19,272 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,628,484. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Noel R. Wallace sold 69,948 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.22, for a total transaction of $5,891,020.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 286,881 shares in the company, valued at $24,161,117.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 232,371 shares of company stock valued at $19,505,099 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Profile

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.