Ensign Peak Advisors Inc Increases Stake in The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc grew its stake in The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB) by 4.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,056,937 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 96,355 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc owned about 0.69% of Campbell’s worth $86,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Campbell’s by 38.2% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,645,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $194,556,000 after buying an additional 1,282,957 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Campbell’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $50,908,000. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in Campbell’s by 56.9% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,662,547 shares of the company’s stock worth $111,507,000 after purchasing an additional 966,044 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its position in Campbell’s by 294.4% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 837,301 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,115,000 after purchasing an additional 625,010 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Campbell’s by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,030,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $168,790,000 after purchasing an additional 550,210 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Campbell’s Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of CPB stock opened at $35.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The Campbell’s Company has a twelve month low of $35.09 and a twelve month high of $52.81. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $37.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.55. The stock has a market cap of $10.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.14.

Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.74 billion. Campbell’s had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 23.79%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Campbell’s Company will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Campbell’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.42%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.17%.

Insider Transactions at Campbell’s

In related news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total transaction of $99,994.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This trade represents a 6.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CPB has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Campbell’s in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Consumer Edge reiterated an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell’s in a research report on Monday, March 17th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of Campbell’s from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. BNP Paribas upgraded Campbell’s to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Campbell’s from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $48.00 to $37.00 in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Campbell’s has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $44.27.

About Campbell’s

The Campbell’s Company, formerly known as Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Meals & Beverages and Snacks segments. The Meals & Beverages segment engages in the retail and foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.