Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $99.74, but opened at $96.54. Colgate-Palmolive shares last traded at $96.90, with a volume of 1,351,419 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on CL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $113.00 to $114.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. HSBC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, July 26th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $103.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $106.00.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Down 4.1 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $103.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $97.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.90. The company has a market capitalization of $78.44 billion, a PE ratio of 30.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.40.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.01 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 470.19% and a net margin of 14.21%. Equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 18th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 18th. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.28, for a total value of $1,636,988.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,439,929.76. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 14,794 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.94, for a total value of $1,522,894.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 5,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $529,729.24. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.28, for a total transaction of $1,636,988.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,942 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,439,929.76. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 43,490 shares of company stock valued at $4,486,063. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Colgate-Palmolive

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 46.5% in the second quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Register Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the first quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 150.4% in the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 666 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new position in Colgate-Palmolive during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $68,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.