Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stifel Nicolaus Analyst Says

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) had its price target increased by Stifel Nicolaus from $161.00 to $165.00 in a research report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the stock.

PG has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Procter & Gamble from $186.00 to $181.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $174.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Barclays lifted their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $209.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $196.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $180.53.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

NYSE PG opened at $164.41 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $387.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.18, a PEG ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.45. Procter & Gamble has a 12 month low of $152.06 and a 12 month high of $180.43. The company’s 50 day moving average is $168.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $21.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21,657,595.49 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.35% and a return on equity of 32.88%. Procter & Gamble’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th will be paid a $1.0065 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 24th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.45%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.17%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 12,800 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.73, for a total value of $2,210,944.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,595 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,804.35. This trade represents a 52.47 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 47,847 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.84, for a total value of $8,604,804.48. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 39,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,189,463.68. The trade was a 54.48 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter worth $46,000. Costello Asset Management INC lifted its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2,142.9% during the 3rd quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter worth $58,000. Finally, Mendota Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 376 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Co engages in the provision of branded consumer packaged goods. It operates through the following segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric and Home Care, and Baby, Feminine and Family Care. The Beauty segment offers hair, skin, and personal care. The Grooming segment consists of shave care like female and male blades and razors, pre and post shave products, and appliances.