Flossbach Von Storch SE Raises Stock Position in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

Key Points

• Flossbach Von Storch SE increased its stake in Colgate‑Palmolive by 38.6% during Q4 to 418,589 shares, valued at about $33.08 million (roughly 0.05% of the company).
• Company insiders have been net sellers — the COO sold 35,000 shares and another insider sold 20,989, and insiders have sold a total of 184,683 shares worth about $17.49 million over the past 90 days, leaving insiders with 0.43% ownership.
• Analysts hold a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (12 Buys, 6 Holds) with a consensus target of $95.56 amid several recent target trims, while Colgate raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (a 2.5% yield) and recently beat EPS estimates.

Flossbach Von Storch SE lifted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 38.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 418,589 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 116,683 shares during the quarter. Flossbach Von Storch SE owned 0.05% of Colgate-Palmolive worth $33,077,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CL. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 16.3% during the fourth quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 241,222 shares of the company's stock worth $19,061,000 after purchasing an additional 33,805 shares in the last quarter. Certuity LLC increased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 106.2% in the fourth quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 11,628 shares of the company's stock valued at $919,000 after buying an additional 5,988 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 273,237 shares of the company's stock worth $21,591,000 after buying an additional 10,535 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,532 shares of the company's stock worth $1,069,000 after buying an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.41% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $102.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $98.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 35,000 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.61, for a total value of $3,311,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 10,415 shares of the company's stock, valued at $985,363.15. The trade was a 77.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider John Hazlin sold 20,989 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider owned 17,645 shares in the company, valued at $1,663,041.25. This trade represents a 54.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock valued at $17,486,693. Insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

NYSE:CL opened at $84.16 on Tuesday. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12-month low of $74.54 and a 12-month high of $99.33. The firm has a market cap of $67.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.34. The company's 50-day moving average is $88.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $83.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 353.72%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.85 EPS for the current year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a boost from Colgate-Palmolive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Colgate-Palmolive's payout ratio is presently 80.92%.

About Colgate-Palmolive

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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