Stanley Sutula III Sells 97,843 Shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Stock

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) CFO Stanley Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total transaction of $9,223,659.61. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 55,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,214,073.70. This represents a 63.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

NYSE CL opened at $94.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $76.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.27 and a beta of 0.29. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $82.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $81.60. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a fifty-two week low of $74.54 and a fifty-two week high of $100.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.90, a current ratio of 0.42 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

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

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

CL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.47.

Institutional Trading of Colgate-Palmolive

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,578 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 76.3% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 46,361 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,344,000 after purchasing an additional 20,062 shares during the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 10,588 shares of the company’s stock worth $962,000 after buying an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Wealth Management boosted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.8% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Wealth Management now owns 12,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,166,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 39,075 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,552,000 after buying an additional 1,076 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.