Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB) Hits New 1-Year Low - Here's Why

Shares of The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $31.58 and last traded at $32.05, with a volume of 87755 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.82.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on CPB. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Campbell's from $40.00 to $34.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 30th. Barclays dropped their target price on Campbell's from $40.00 to $35.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Campbell's from $40.00 to $38.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Argus lowered Campbell's from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on Campbell's from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $40.11.

Campbell's Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $34.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.12. The stock has a market cap of $9.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.09, a P/E/G ratio of 9.29 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.78.

Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, June 2nd. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.08. Campbell's had a return on equity of 23.22% and a net margin of 4.44%. The firm had revenue of $2.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.75 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that The Campbell's Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell's Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be given a $0.39 dividend. 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 4.90%. Campbell's's dividend payout ratio is currently 103.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Campbell's news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This trade represents a 6.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 20.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Campbell's

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its holdings in shares of Campbell's by 161.8% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 186,277 shares of the company's stock worth $7,801,000 after buying an additional 115,122 shares in the last quarter. ING Groep NV acquired a new position in shares of Campbell's in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,062,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Campbell's by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,787,481 shares of the company's stock worth $74,860,000 after buying an additional 21,849 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 966,044 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Campbell's in the 4th quarter worth approximately $21,312,000. Institutional investors own 52.35% of the company's stock.

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.