9,000 Shares in The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) Purchased by GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC.

GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. bought a new stake in shares of The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 9,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $377,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of CPB. Sherman Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 45.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in Campbell Soup during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Quent Capital LLC grew its stake in Campbell Soup by 77.7% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the period. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. 52.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Campbell Soup Price Performance

CPB stock opened at $37.72 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $39.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $41.96. The Campbell Soup Company has a 52-week low of $36.02 and a 52-week high of $52.81. The company has a market capitalization of $11.25 billion, a PE ratio of 20.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

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

Campbell Soup Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.14%. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.17%.

Insider Activity at Campbell Soup

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on CPB shares. Consumer Edge reiterated an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell Soup in a report on Monday, March 17th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Campbell Soup from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Campbell Soup from $45.00 to $41.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Campbell Soup from $51.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Campbell Soup from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.86.

Campbell Soup Profile

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.