Braun Stacey Associates Inc. Sells 9,343 Shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

Braun Stacey Associates Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 4.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 223,790 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,343 shares during the quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc.’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $17,684,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CL. Copia Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Colgate-Palmolive in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 182.6% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares during the period. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. 80.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE CL opened at $85.04 on Friday. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12 month low of $74.54 and a 12 month high of $99.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82. The stock has a market cap of $68.23 billion, a PE ratio of 32.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.34. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $91.10 and its 200 day moving average is $83.46.

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

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on CL shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $93.00 target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.19.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.81, for a total transaction of $1,467,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,018,691.15. This represents a 59.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.25, for a total value of $1,978,213.25. Following the transaction, the insider owned 17,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,663,041.25. The trade was a 54.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693 in the last quarter. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.