UBS Group Begins Coverage on Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB)

UBS Group began coverage on shares of Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB) in a report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued a sell rating and a $36.00 price target on the stock.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Campbell’s from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Consumer Edge reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell’s in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Campbell’s from $45.00 to $41.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Campbell’s in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Campbell’s from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.27.

Campbell’s Stock Down 1.2 %

CPB opened at $36.29 on Wednesday. Campbell’s has a 1 year low of $35.85 and a 1 year high of $52.81. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $38.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $10.82 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19.

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

Campbell’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.17%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of Campbell’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This trade represents a 6.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 20.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Campbell’s

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Campbell’s during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Campbell’s during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Campbell’s by 45.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in Campbell’s during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Campbell’s by 77.7% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Campbell’s Company Profile

The Campbell’s Company, formerly known as 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.