Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $96.5882.

Several brokerages recently commented on CL. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $100.00 target price on Colgate-Palmolive and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock opened at $91.41 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.33. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52 week low of $74.54 and a 52 week high of $99.33. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $90.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.33.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 386.76%. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is currently 82.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Colgate-Palmolive

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC grew its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 15,877 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,255,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 4,503 shares of the company’s stock valued at $356,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,506 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,225,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period. Cooper Financial Group grew its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 4.0% in the second quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 2,947 shares of the company’s stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gould Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 38.7% in the first quarter. Gould Capital LLC now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Colgate-Palmolive

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.