Morgan Stanley Lowers Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Price Target to $95.00

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) had its target price cut by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $100.00 to $95.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price points to a potential upside of 12.22% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on CL. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 29th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted 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. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.56.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:CL opened at $84.65 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.83. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $88.79 and its 200-day moving average is $83.87. The company has a market cap of $67.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.31, a P/E/G ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.34. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52-week low of $74.54 and a 52-week high of $99.33.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 353.72% and a net margin of 10.45%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.91 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 55,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,214,073.70. This trade represents a 63.89% 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 link. Also, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.81, for a total transaction of $1,467,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 10,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,018,691.15. The trade was a 59.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock valued at $17,486,693. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Colgate-Palmolive in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 86.7% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. TD Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 326 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management grew its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Institutional investors own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

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.