Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL Shares Sold by Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.

Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. decreased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 72,300 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,900 shares during the quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $5,780,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cidel Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 13.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 329,060 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,912,000 after buying an additional 39,413 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 82,751,689 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,522,129,000 after acquiring an additional 993,432 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 18.6% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 30,273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,752,000 after acquiring an additional 4,738 shares in the last quarter. Welch Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 1.5% during the second quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 665,041 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,452,000 after purchasing an additional 9,689 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 3.9% during the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 422,292 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,758,000 after purchasing an additional 16,017 shares in the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE:CL opened at $77.18 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.90, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of $62.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.30. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a one year low of $74.54 and a one year high of $100.18. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $82.09.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $5.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.17 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 333.39% and a net margin of 14.47%.Colgate-Palmolive’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is 58.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on CL shares. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Bank of America lowered their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Colgate-Palmolive from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $88.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $85.00 price objective on Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Colgate-Palmolive presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.06.

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

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.