Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Price Target Cut to $95.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Colgate‑Palmolive to $95.00 (from $100) while maintaining an "overweight" rating, implying about a 13.57% upside from the current share price.
• The analyst consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with 12 Buy and 6 Hold ratings and an average price target of approximately $95.56.
• Significant insider selling has occurred recently—insiders sold 184,683 shares worth about $17.49 million over the last 90 days (including the CFO’s sale of 97,843 shares), leaving insiders with roughly 0.43% ownership.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $100.00 to $95.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 13.57% from the company's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America cut their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $102.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Colgate-Palmolive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $98.00 in a report on Monday, March 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $100.00 price objective on Colgate-Palmolive and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $102.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $98.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.56.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Up 1.6%

CL traded up $1.30 on Thursday, hitting $83.65. 2,425,868 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,689,607. The stock's fifty day moving average is $89.27 and its 200-day moving average is $83.82. Colgate-Palmolive has a 12 month low of $74.54 and a 12 month high of $99.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market cap of $67.11 billion, a PE ratio of 31.93, a PEG ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.34.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 353.72% and a net margin of 10.45%.The firm had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In related news, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.25, for a total transaction of $1,978,213.25. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 17,645 shares in the company, valued at $1,663,041.25. The trade was a 54.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total value of $9,223,659.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 55,310 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,214,073.70. This trade represents a 63.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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 corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Three Magnolias Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 8.8% in the first quarter. Three Magnolias Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,111 shares of the company's stock worth $521,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 0.8% in the first quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 33,459 shares of the company's stock worth $2,852,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the period. Patton Fund Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 23.1% during the first quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. now owns 3,433 shares of the company's stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 645 shares during the last quarter. Aspire Private Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the first quarter valued at $216,000. Finally, Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY purchased a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the first quarter valued at $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.41% of the company's stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

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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