Baird Financial Group Inc. Sells 39,707 Shares of The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Baird Financial Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 47.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,369 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,707 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Campbell's were worth $1,816,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sherman Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Campbell's during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Campbell's by 45.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Campbell's in the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Quent Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Campbell's by 77.7% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 481 shares during the period. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Campbell's during the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. 52.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The stock was 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 directly owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 20.19% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CPB has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Campbell's from $47.00 to $40.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 24th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on Campbell's from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Campbell's from $45.00 to $41.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Campbell's from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Consumer Edge restated an "equal weight" rating on shares of Campbell's in a report on Monday, March 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $44.27.

Campbell's Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ CPB traded up $0.65 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $34.96. The stock had a trading volume of 3,349,002 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,799,918. The company has a market cap of $10.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.10, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.14. The Campbell's Company has a 52 week low of $34.27 and a 52 week high of $52.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The business's 50 day moving average is $37.53 and its 200-day moving average is $40.21.

Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.74 billion. Campbell's had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 23.79%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that The Campbell's Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current year.

Campbell's Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.46%. Campbell's's payout ratio is currently 90.17%.

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.