Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 0.8% – Here’s Why

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)’s stock price traded down 0.8% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $170.74 and last traded at $170.99. 3,557,251 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 48% from the average session volume of 6,898,009 shares. The stock had previously closed at $172.39.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on PG shares. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, February 10th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Procter & Gamble from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Procter & Gamble from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $182.00.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $169.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $169.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $383.92 billion, a PE ratio of 26.07, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $21.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.66 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 18.35%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a dividend of $1.0065 per share. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.01%.

Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble

In related news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.68, for a total value of $6,078,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 22,051 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,829,817.68. This represents a 61.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 172,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,313,845.76. This trade represents a 34.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 143,450 shares of company stock valued at $23,988,008. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Exeter Financial LLC grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 2.3% during the first quarter. Exeter Financial LLC now owns 17,270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,943,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 13,166 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,244,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the period. Agate Pass Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. Agate Pass Investment Management LLC now owns 17,765 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,027,000 after acquiring an additional 2,101 shares during the period. Legacy Private Trust Co. lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 25.5% during the 1st quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 18,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,166,000 after acquiring an additional 3,776 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 92.1% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 6,617 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,128,000 after acquiring an additional 3,173 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble Co engages in the provision of branded consumer packaged goods. It operates through the following segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric and Home Care, and Baby, Feminine and Family Care. The Beauty segment offers hair, skin, and personal care. The Grooming segment consists of shave care like female and male blades and razors, pre and post shave products, and appliances.