Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.53

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of 0.53 per share on Friday, May 15th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This is a 1.9% increase from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52.

Colgate-Palmolive has raised its dividend by an average of 0.0%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 63 consecutive years. Colgate-Palmolive has a payout ratio of 53.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Colgate-Palmolive to earn $4.03 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.08 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 51.6%.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CL traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $88.57. The stock had a trading volume of 252,463 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,045,621. Colgate-Palmolive has a fifty-two week low of $74.54 and a fifty-two week high of $99.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82. The company has a market capitalization of $71.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.01 and a beta of 0.28. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $89.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $83.20.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 353.72%. The company’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.91 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In other news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,306,757.53. This represents a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.61, for a total value of $3,311,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 10,415 shares in the company, valued at $985,363.15. The trade was a 77.07% 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 currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 83,947,987 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,633,570,000 after purchasing an additional 1,026,985 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 22,103,901 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,754,657,000 after purchasing an additional 304,426 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 19,246,217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,520,836,000 after acquiring an additional 323,367 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $861,670,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 33.9% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 10,845,857 shares of the company’s stock worth $857,040,000 after buying an additional 2,746,920 shares during the period. 80.41% of the stock is owned by 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.