Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Downgraded by DZ Bank to Hold

DZ Bank downgraded shares of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Zacks reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on PG. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Bank of America reduced their target price on Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $166.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $149.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, August 24th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price target on Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Procter & Gamble from $164.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $170.57.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PG opened at $158.38 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $367.10 billion, a PE ratio of 23.85, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $149.30 and a 200 day moving average of $148.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.72. Procter & Gamble has a one year low of $137.62 and a one year high of $167.25.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The company reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $23.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.80 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 31.02%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.99 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Procter & Gamble will post 6.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be paid a $1.0885 dividend. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 23rd. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.51%.

Insider Activity

In other Procter & Gamble news, CFO Andre Schulten sold 3,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.34, for a total value of $568,860.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 65,618 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,536,920.12. This trade represents a 5.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Shailesh Jejurikar sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.09, for a total transaction of $5,708,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 55,391 shares in the company, valued at $9,033,718.19. This trade represents a 38.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 58,647 shares of company stock valued at $9,268,508 in the last ninety days. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hennessy Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 86,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,567,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the period. Verus Financial Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 3.9% during the third quarter. Verus Financial Partners Inc. now owns 1,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $272,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Columbia Bank lifted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 4.6% in the third quarter. Columbia Bank now owns 20,264 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,944,000 after buying an additional 889 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at about $247,990,000. Finally, Northern Financial Advisors Inc grew its position in Procter & Gamble by 6.3% during the third quarter. Northern Financial Advisors Inc now owns 6,476 shares of the company’s stock worth $941,000 after buying an additional 383 shares in the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Procter & Gamble News

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

• Positive Sentiment: P&G’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $2.00 versus the $1.89 consensus and revenue of $23.28 billion versus $22.80 billion expected. Sales increased 4% year over year, while organic sales growth was supported primarily by higher product volumes rather than price increases. P&G Stock May Be Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investment commentary remain broadly constructive. One analysis estimates PG may be about 23% undervalued, while Freedom Broker upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy. P&G’s leading household brands and dependable dividend continue to support its defensive-investment appeal. Freedom Broker Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s quarterly dividend remains an important support for income-focused investors: the annualized payout is approximately $4.35 per share, representing a yield near 2.7% based on the cited stock data. P&G Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: P&G has outperformed the broader market this year, but commentary questions how long that outperformance can continue. With shares trading well above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, some investors may be taking profits. P&G Outperformance Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Higher commodity, oil, packaging and transportation costs could pressure margins if P&G cannot offset them through pricing, productivity gains or favorable product mix. Investors are watching whether the company’s growth can continue while protecting profitability. P&G Commodity Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling, including a 4,181-share transaction valued at roughly $672,000, may add a modest sentiment overhang, although such sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating business conditions. P&G Insider Sale

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) is a global consumer products company that develops, manufactures and markets branded products used in households and personal care. Its portfolio includes personal health and grooming products, beauty and skin care items, baby, feminine and family care products, fabric and home care products, and oral care products.

The company’s well-known brands include Pampers, Tide, Gillette, Crest, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Olay, Old Spice, Dawn, Febreze and Mr.