Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL Stock Position Decreased by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG decreased its stake by 52.5%, selling 235,547 shares in Q4 and retaining 213,251 shares worth about $16.86 million.
• Colgate beat Q4 estimates and raised its dividend: reported $0.95 EPS vs. $0.91 expected, revenue of $5.23B (up 5.8% YoY), and increased the quarterly dividend to $0.53 ($2.12 annualized, ~2.6% yield).
• Significant insider selling and mixed analyst views: insiders sold 184,683 shares (~$17.49M) last quarter (insiders now own 0.43%), while analysts rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $95.88.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG decreased its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 52.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 213,251 shares of the company's stock after selling 235,547 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $16,863,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 8,467,993 shares of the company's stock worth $676,931,000 after buying an additional 978,943 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 46.7% in the 3rd quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,077,549 shares of the company's stock valued at $645,719,000 after purchasing an additional 2,572,796 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 6,423,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $517,167,000 after purchasing an additional 314,584 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 41.6% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 6,294,445 shares of the company's stock valued at $487,505,000 after purchasing an additional 1,850,412 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.8% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,919,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $473,207,000 after purchasing an additional 162,253 shares during the period. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CL opened at $82.25 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $65.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.39, a PEG ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.54. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12 month low of $74.54 and a 12 month high of $99.33. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $89.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $83.82.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $5.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.91 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Colgate-Palmolive's dividend payout ratio is presently 80.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In other news, 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 transaction of $9,223,659.61. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 55,310 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,214,073.70. This represents a 63.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.25, for a total value of $1,978,213.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock valued at $17,486,693 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $102.00 price objective on Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $96.00 to $92.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Colgate-Palmolive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, March 29th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $95.88.

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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