Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Boosts Holdings in Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management increased its Procter & Gamble stake by 6.2% in the first quarter, adding 52,655 shares to reach 902,492 shares valued at about $130.4 million.
• Institutional interest in PG remains strong, with hedge funds and asset managers making large moves in the stock and institutions owning 65.77% of shares outstanding.
• Procter & Gamble reported better-than-expected EPS of $1.59 and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.0885 per share, while analysts currently view the stock as a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $161.42.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 6.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 902,492 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 52,655 shares during the period. Procter & Gamble accounts for 1.8% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $130,356,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of PG. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at $4,664,783,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 1,104.8% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 9,521,440 shares of the company's stock worth $1,364,518,000 after acquiring an additional 8,731,126 shares during the period. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 14,231.0% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,549,645 shares of the company's stock worth $508,700,000 after purchasing an additional 3,524,876 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 237,459,756 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,030,358,000 after purchasing an additional 2,829,151 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 100.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 5,460,939 shares of the company's stock worth $782,607,000 after buying an additional 2,741,924 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on PG. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Procter & Gamble from $159.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Procter & Gamble from $175.00 to $166.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and issued a $163.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, April 27th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $142.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $146.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $161.42.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of PG traded up $0.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $147.15. 12,472,118 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,997,727. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock's 50-day moving average is $146.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $148.37. Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $137.62 and a 12 month high of $167.25. The stock has a market cap of $342.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.51, a P/E/G ratio of 6.25 and a beta of 0.39.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $21.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.52 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.00% and a net margin of 19.16%.Procter & Gamble's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.54 EPS. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.090 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th were paid a dividend of $1.0885 per share. 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 dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is presently 63.60%.

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.

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