23,217 Shares in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL Acquired by PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab

Key Points

• PFA Pension opened a new position in Colgate‑Palmolive during Q4, buying 23,217 shares worth about $1.85 million, and overall institutional/hedge fund ownership stands at roughly 80.41%.
• Company insiders sold a total of 184,683 shares (~$17.49 million) last quarter, including CFO Stanley J. Sutula III's sale of 97,843 shares, leaving insiders with just 0.43% ownership.
• Recent results and outlook: Colgate beat estimates with $0.97 EPS and $5.32 billion revenue (+8.4% YoY), raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (2.5% yield), and retains a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a $95.81 target after several price‑target upgrades.

PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 23,217 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,846,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Blalock Williams LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth $257,000. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 34,108 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,679,000 after acquiring an additional 3,557 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 82,990 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,558,000 after acquiring an additional 5,457 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 853,513 shares of the company's stock worth $67,445,000 after acquiring an additional 10,844 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 10,393 shares of the company's stock worth $821,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. 80.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Evercore boosted their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Friday. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price 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. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.81.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In other news, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total value of $9,223,659.61. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 55,310 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,214,073.70. The trade was a 63.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total transaction of $1,506,320.53. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 13,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,306,757.53. The trade was a 53.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

Colgate-Palmolive stock opened at $85.28 on Tuesday. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12-month low of $74.54 and a 12-month high of $99.33. The company has a market capitalization of $68.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $87.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $84.15.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Colgate-Palmolive's payout ratio is presently 82.49%.

Colgate-Palmolive 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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