Wall Street Zen Downgrades Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) to Hold

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Sunday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.75.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE CL opened at $84.25 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $91.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $83.37. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52-week low of $74.54 and a 52-week high of $99.33. 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 company has a market cap of $67.59 billion, a PE ratio of 32.16, a P/E/G ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.28.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $5.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 353.72%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.91 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Colgate-Palmolive

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider directly owned 17,645 shares in the company, valued at $1,663,041.25. The trade was a 54.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total transaction of $9,223,659.61. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 55,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,214,073.70. The trade was a 63.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693 in the last three months. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Colgate-Palmolive

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 86.7% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 323 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. TD Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 326 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management raised its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.