Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Stock

Key Points

• Barclays raised its price target on Colgate-Palmolive to $80 (from $79) while keeping an "equal weight" rating, a target that implies roughly a 6.1% downside from the stock's current price.
• Analyst consensus remains a Moderate Buy with a mean price target of $95.88, and several firms still carry buy targets up to $100 despite some recent cuts and mixed ratings.
• Colgate topped quarterly estimates (EPS $0.97 vs. $0.94; revenue $5.32B, +8.4% YoY), but insiders have sold heavily recently—about 184,683 shares worth ~$17.5M in the past 90 days, leaving insiders with 0.43% ownership.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by investment analysts at Barclays from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Barclays's target price points to a potential downside of 6.09% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $96.00 to $92.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Twelve 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, Colgate-Palmolive has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.88.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Down 0.2%

CL traded down $0.18 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $85.19. 541,080 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,581,826. The stock has a market cap of $68.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.31. Colgate-Palmolive has a twelve month low of $74.54 and a twelve month high of $99.33. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $87.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.44.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 386.76%. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.91 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.85 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In related news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 35,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.61, for a total value of $3,311,350.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 10,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $985,363.15. This represents a 77.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total transaction of $1,506,320.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 13,751 shares in the company, valued at $1,306,757.53. This trade represents a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock valued at $17,486,693. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Colgate-Palmolive

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 86.7% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 323 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. TD Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 326 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 62.9% during the fourth 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 stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Institutional investors own 80.41% of the company's stock.

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.

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