Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $88.8125.

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Colgate-Palmolive from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $88.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $82.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $106.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd.

Institutional Trading of Colgate-Palmolive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CL. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 85.5% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Saudi Central Bank bought a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the first quarter valued at $29,000. Copia Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter worth $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 86.1% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 335 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the period. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the third quarter valued at $30,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CL opened at $79.73 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $78.50 and a 200-day moving average of $82.69. Colgate-Palmolive has a 12 month low of $74.54 and a 12 month high of $100.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.26 billion, a PE ratio of 22.33, a PEG ratio of 5.68 and a beta of 0.30.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.02. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 14.47% and a return on equity of 333.39%. The business had revenue of $5.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is currently 58.26%.

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.