Impax Asset Management Group plc Grows Stock Position in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

Key Points

• Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its stake in Colgate‑Palmolive by 29.2%, adding 73,814 shares to hold 326,779 shares worth about $25.8 million after the Q4 13F filing.
• Colgate‑Palmolive beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $0.95 vs. $0.91 and revenue up 5.8% year‑over‑year, and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (annualized $2.12, ~2.5% yield).
• Significant insider selling occurred (184,683 shares worth roughly $17.5M last quarter) even as analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating and institutions own about 80% of the stock.

Impax Asset Management Group plc increased its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 29.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 326,779 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 73,814 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc's holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $25,822,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Copia Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 400 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 182.6% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 407 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CL opened at $84.65 on Friday. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a fifty-two week low of $74.54 and a fifty-two week high of $99.33. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $88.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $83.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82. The firm has a market cap of $67.92 billion, a PE ratio of 32.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.34.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 353.72% and a net margin of 10.45%.The firm had revenue of $5.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. Colgate-Palmolive's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.85 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Colgate-Palmolive's payout ratio is 80.92%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.81, for a total transaction of $1,467,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 10,415 shares in the company, valued at $1,018,691.15. This trade represents a 59.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total value of $9,223,659.61. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 55,310 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,214,073.70. This trade represents a 63.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock worth $17,486,693 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on CL. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $102.00 target price on Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.56.

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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