AGP Franklin LLC Invests $3.39 Million in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

AGP Franklin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 20,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,387,000. Procter & Gamble accounts for 2.1% of AGP Franklin LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Howard Capital Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.0% in the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 8,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,442,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 14.7% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,734,588 shares of the company’s stock worth $820,031,000 after purchasing an additional 608,168 shares during the period. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter valued at $201,000. Invst LLC increased its stake in Procter & Gamble by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Invst LLC now owns 15,889 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,752,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,632,000. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of PG opened at $169.11 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $168.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $168.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $396.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.43. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 12-month low of $153.52 and a 12-month high of $180.43.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 18.35%. The firm had revenue of $21.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.66 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.84 earnings per share. Procter & Gamble’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.0568 per share. This is a boost from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.50%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is 67.20%.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In other news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.66, for a total value of $3,089,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 22,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,785,274.66. This trade represents a 44.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 172,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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. Insiders sold a total of 143,450 shares of company stock valued at $23,988,008 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on PG shares. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $164.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $209.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $181.50.

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.