Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 1.7% on Analyst Downgrade

Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG)’s stock price fell 1.7% on Monday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $165.00 to $162.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Procter & Gamble traded as low as $143.59 and last traded at $144.3590. 8,028,764 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the average session volume of 11,072,257 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.93.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $167.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $150.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Dbs Bank upgraded Procter & Gamble from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $167.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $163.00.

Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble

In related news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 36,093 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.33, for a total value of $5,858,976.69. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,994 shares in the company, valued at $5,680,576.02. The trade was a 50.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Susan Street Whaley sold 1,809 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.46, for a total value of $288,463.14. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 30,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,818,083.90. The trade was a 5.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 348,618 shares of company stock valued at $55,462,643 over the last three months. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Procter & Gamble

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple dividend roundups highlight PG as a high-quality income name for yield-focused investors, reinforcing demand from dividend-oriented buyers. Put $5,000 In These Dividend Giants and Earn Passive Income Every Quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer called PG “as cheap as I’ve seen it in years,” which can attract bargain hunters and short-term buyers looking for a value play ahead of a potential turnaround. Jim Cramer on Procter & Gamble: “It’s as Cheap as I’ve Seen It in Years”
• Positive Sentiment: PG’s Charmin brand committed to planting an additional 1 million trees with the Arbor Day Foundation — a sustainability move that can help the company’s ESG profile and appeal to investors focused on long-term brand resilience. Charmin Forest Push Adds ESG Angle To Procter And Gamble Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage continue to profile PG as a high-quality, defensive consumer-staples holding; several outlets recommend it for dividend-focused portfolios but differ on timing. Should You Buy Procter & Gamble Stock Before April 24?
• Neutral Sentiment: Company profile and market-data pages (e.g., Barron’s) are circulating, keeping PG in investor screens but without new fundamental catalysts. Procter & Gamble Co.
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan trimmed its price target on PG to $162, signaling more conservative near-term expectations from a major bank and likely contributing to selling pressure. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Price Target to $162.00
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns that PG’s EPS growth story could face headwinds despite pricing power and cost initiatives, highlighting the risk of slower near-term earnings and pressuring sentiment. Procter & Gamble’s EPS Growth Story: Sustainable or Slowing Ahead?

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 237,459,756 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,030,358,000 after purchasing an additional 2,829,151 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 101,618,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,563,008,000 after purchasing an additional 984,102 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 62,647,882 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,962,689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,556 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at about $4,664,783,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 29,612,826 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,243,815,000 after purchasing an additional 1,091,091 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $151.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $148.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company has a market cap of $335.49 billion, a PE ratio of 21.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.21% and a net margin of 19.30%.The company had revenue of $22.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.36 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.88 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.0885 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This is a positive change from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Procter & Gamble’s payout ratio is presently 62.67%.

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.