B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Sells 1,265,005 Shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG reduced its stake in Procter & Gamble by 75.1%, selling 1,265,005 shares and leaving 418,842 shares worth about $60.06 million at quarter-end.
• Procter & Gamble raised its quarterly dividend to $1.0885 (from $1.06), implying an annualized $4.35 payout, a ~3.0% yield and a payout ratio of about 62.7%.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently — Chairman Jon Moeller sold 162,232 shares (~$26.35 million) and insiders sold 348,618 shares totaling roughly $55.46 million over the last three months.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG decreased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 75.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 418,842 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,265,005 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $60,055,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE PG opened at $142.81 on Thursday. Procter & Gamble Company has a one year low of $137.62 and a one year high of $170.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market cap of $331.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.16, a P/E/G ratio of 5.48 and a beta of 0.41. The stock's 50-day moving average is $150.87 and its 200-day moving average is $148.74.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.21% and a net margin of 19.30%.The business had revenue of $22.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.88 EPS. Procter & Gamble's quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a $1.0885 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is presently 62.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $156.00 to $142.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $167.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $164.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $159.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $162.32.

Key Procter & Gamble News

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase cited among major dividend stocks, supporting income investor interest and underlining P&G's cash-return profile. 3 Giant Dividend Stocks Raising Payouts With Yields Up to 4%
• Positive Sentiment: Leadership transition to Shailesh Jejurikar as CEO and a strategic reset including a Dreft brand overhaul signal management action on growth/priorities — a governance/strategy positive for investors. Procter And Gamble Resets Priorities With New CEO And Dreft Overhaul
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts' consensus remains constructive (average rating ~“Moderate Buy”), providing a supportive backdrop despite some target trims. Procter & Gamble Company The) (NYSE: PG Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: P&G publicly refuted a small unsolicited mini‑tender (100,000 shares at $100) — largely procedural and limited in size, so minimal fundamental impact but worth noting for governance/market noise. Is The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) Management Justified to Refute Mini-Tender Offer?
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $166 (from $175) while keeping an Overweight rating — reduces upside expectations and can pressure sentiment. Morgan Stanley Cuts Procter & Gamble Price Target to $166 from $175, Maintains Overweight Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies trimmed its target modestly to $175 (from $179) — another cap on near-term upside despite retaining a Buy view. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on Procter & Gamble to $175 from $179, Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its target to $162 ahead of earnings — another analyst revision that trims expectations heading into the April 24 Q3 report. JPMorgan Cuts Procter & Gamble (PG) Target to $162 Ahead of Earnings Season
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to analyst downgrade(s) has caused intraday weakness in recent coverage (reported trading down ~1.7%), reflecting sensitivity to analyst views ahead of results. Procter & Gamble NYSE: PG Trading Down 1.7% After Analyst Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies and other analysts flag cost pressures and geopolitical risks ahead of the fiscal Q3 report (April 24): investors will focus on margins, pricing cadence and organic sales to judge near-term upside. Procter & Gamble cost pressures in focus for Q3 report

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Jon R. Moeller sold 162,232 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.45, for a total value of $26,354,588.40. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 319,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $51,884,093.25. The trade was a 33.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 15,169 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.28, for a total value of $2,461,625.32. Following the transaction, the insider owned 44,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,259,595.80. This trade represents a 25.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 348,618 shares of company stock valued at $55,462,643. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble NYSE: PG is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world's largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G's product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.

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