Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Up 4.6% – Here’s Why

Shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) shot up 4.6% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $147.09 and last traded at $147.3080. 4,987,321 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 10,337,131 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.78.

Procter & Gamble News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed investors buying 45,043 PG call options, nearly double typical volume, pointing to bullish expectations for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: PG’s partnership with Walmart and Matthew 25: Ministries to expand a national disaster response fleet highlights its community impact and may support brand strength. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around dividend aristocrats and income investing keeps Procter & Gamble in focus as a stable, shareholder-friendly defensive stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: P&G’s webcast presentation at the Evercore Consumer and Retail Conference may help investors refresh on strategy and outlook, but it is not itself a major catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on PG’s recent valuation and share-price softness suggests some investors are still weighing fundamentals against the stock’s recent pullback. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Friday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $159.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Evercore set a $162.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, April 27th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $142.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $167.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $161.06.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 4.1%

The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $144.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $147.69. The company has a market capitalization of $341.20 billion, a PE ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 6.01 and a beta of 0.39.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $21.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.52 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.16% and a return on equity of 32.00%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.54 EPS. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.090 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were given a $1.0885 dividend. This represents a $4.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.60%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Triodos Investment Management BV raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 7.3% during the third quarter. Triodos Investment Management BV now owns 255,095 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,195,000 after acquiring an additional 17,400 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 0.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 234,630,605 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,050,992,000 after acquiring an additional 1,419,322 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 12.8% during the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 253,089 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,270,000 after acquiring an additional 28,777 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 20.3% during the third quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 53,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,163,000 after acquiring an additional 8,961 shares during the period. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the third quarter worth about $3,776,000. 65.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world’s largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G’s product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.