Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) Now Covered by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm issued an equal weight rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Campbell Soup from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on Campbell Soup from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Campbell Soup from $49.00 to $46.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Campbell Soup from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Campbell Soup has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $44.86.

Campbell Soup Price Performance

Shares of CPB stock opened at $38.05 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $39.06 and its 200 day moving average is $43.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a market cap of $11.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.79, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.15. Campbell Soup has a twelve month low of $36.92 and a twelve month high of $52.81.

Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Campbell Soup had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 23.79%. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.74 billion. Campbell Soup’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Campbell Soup will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell Soup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.10%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio is currently 90.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Campbell Soup

In other Campbell Soup news, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.90, for a total transaction of $83,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,551 shares in the company, valued at $693,486.90. The trade was a 10.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Campbell Soup

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sherman Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Campbell Soup in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 45.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new position in Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Quent Capital LLC lifted its position in Campbell Soup by 77.7% during the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Campbell Soup during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Campbell Soup Company Profile

Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Meals & Beverages and Snacks segments. The Meals & Beverages segment engages in the retail and foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.