Candriam S.C.A. Increases Position in Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. increased its stake in Procter & Gamble by 5.9% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 709,122 shares worth about $102.4 million.
• Wall Street remains cautiously positive on PG, with analysts giving it an average “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $161.42, though several firms recently trimmed their targets.
• Procter & Gamble reported solid quarterly results and raised its dividend, posting EPS of $1.59 versus estimates of $1.56 and boosting its quarterly payout to $1.0885 per share, implying a 3.0% yield.

Candriam S.C.A. raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 5.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 709,122 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 39,614 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $102,426,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PG. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 1,000.0% in the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 165 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 65.1% during the 4th quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1,315.4% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 184 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.77% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $146.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $167.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Procter & Gamble from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $142.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $161.42.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

Shares of PG opened at $147.15 on Friday. Procter & Gamble Company has a 1 year low of $137.62 and a 1 year high of $167.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $342.65 billion, a PE ratio of 21.51, a PEG ratio of 6.24 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $146.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $148.37.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.03. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.16% and a return on equity of 32.00%. The company had revenue of $21.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.54 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.090 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a $1.0885 dividend. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. This is a boost from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Procter & Gamble's dividend payout ratio is currently 63.60%.

Key Stories Impacting Procter & Gamble

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

• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital reportedly initiated/maintained a Buy rating on Procter & Gamble, reinforcing confidence in the company’s defensive earnings profile and dividend stability.
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America kept a Buy rating on PG while lowering its price target to $166 from $170, still implying meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted PG as a Dividend King with a long history of dividend growth, plus product launches such as Braun NEVO and Cascade Clean and Dry Booster Rinse Aid that could support brand momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market recap pieces noted that PG had recently underperformed the broader market in prior sessions, reflecting some near-term pressure rather than a company-specific shock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles focused broadly on dividend investing strategies and retirement income ideas, using PG as an example of a reliable income stock rather than citing a new business catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: One article framed PG as facing a “fresh market test,” suggesting investors are still assessing whether its valuation and growth outlook justify renewed buying.

Procter & Gamble 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.