Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL Shares Sold by Congress Asset Management Co.

Congress Asset Management Co. lowered its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 87.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 18,528 shares of the company’s stock after selling 131,806 shares during the quarter. Congress Asset Management Co.’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $1,464,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC now owns 25,728 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,986,000 after purchasing an additional 1,488 shares during the period. Somerset Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 27,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,176,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 3,896.0% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,189,005 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,955,000 after buying an additional 1,159,250 shares during the period. S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 13.7% in the fourth quarter. S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC now owns 66,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,247,000 after buying an additional 7,989 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Affinity Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter worth about $314,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

NYSE CL opened at $85.35 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.58, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $91.12 and a 200 day moving average of $83.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a twelve month low of $74.54 and a twelve month high of $99.33.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 353.72% and a net margin of 10.45%.Colgate-Palmolive’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.91 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio is 79.39%.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total transaction of $1,506,320.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,306,757.53. This represents a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.25, for a total transaction of $1,978,213.25. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 17,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,663,041.25. The trade was a 54.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693 in the last quarter. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CL has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $88.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Argus reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Evercore boosted their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Colgate-Palmolive has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.75.

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company with a long history in household and personal care categories. The business traces its roots to the early 19th century and has evolved into a multinational manufacturer and marketer of everyday consumer goods focused on health, hygiene and home care.

The company’s core activities center on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Its product portfolio includes toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash in oral care; soaps, body washes and deodorants in personal care; dishwashing liquids, surface cleaners and other household products in home care; and scientifically formulated pet foods under its pet nutrition business.