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

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-two research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and thirteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $104.74.

CL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $107.00 to $109.00 in a research note on Monday, September 9th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $109.00 price objective on the stock. HSBC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Citigroup upped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $103.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic raised Colgate-Palmolive to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Martina Hundmejean sold 2,313 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.86, for a total transaction of $240,228.18. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 11,755 shares in the company, valued at $1,220,874.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Colgate-Palmolive news, EVP Gregory Malcolm sold 10,533 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.10, for a total value of $1,085,952.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 10,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,069,868.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Martina Hundmejean sold 2,313 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.86, for a total value of $240,228.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,220,874.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 43,490 shares of company stock worth $4,486,063 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Colgate-Palmolive

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CL. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Colgate-Palmolive during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 46.5% during the 2nd quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 56.6% during the 4th quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 404 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the first quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CL opened at $99.96 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $96.68. The company has a market cap of $82.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.63, a PEG ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.40. Colgate-Palmolive has a one year low of $67.62 and a one year high of $109.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.90, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 470.19% and a net margin of 14.21%. The company had revenue of $5.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. Colgate-Palmolive’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 18th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.00%. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is 63.29%.

Colgate-Palmolive Company 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.