MQS Management LLC Acquires New Shares in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

MQS Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 9,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $740,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CL. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 85.5% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Copia Wealth Management bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 86.1% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the second quarter worth $39,000. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total value of $1,506,320.53. Following the sale, the insider owned 13,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,306,757.53. The trade was a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total value of $9,223,659.61. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 55,310 shares in the company, valued at $5,214,073.70. The trade was a 63.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE:CL opened at $93.98 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $81.63. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 52-week low of $74.54 and a 52-week high of $100.18. The company has a market cap of $75.75 billion, a PE ratio of 35.87, a PEG ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.90, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.42.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 353.72% and a net margin of 10.45%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 79.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on CL. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $94.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Sunday, February 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $83.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Colgate-Palmolive presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.47.

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.