Ascent Group LLC Grows Stake in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

Ascent Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 19.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,321 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,906 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $2,870,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CL. Capital Advisors Inc. OK boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 9,595 shares of the company’s stock worth $758,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC increased its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 3.9% during the third quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 3,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $280,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA raised its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 16,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,298,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 9,387 shares of the company’s stock worth $724,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CL opened at $85.04 on Monday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $91.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.47. The stock has a market cap of $68.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.46, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12 month low of $74.54 and a 12 month high of $99.33.

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

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.25, for a total transaction of $1,978,213.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 17,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,663,041.25. This trade represents a 54.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total value of $1,506,320.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,306,757.53. The trade was a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CL shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $88.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $93.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Argus restated a “hold” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.19.

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.