Highland Capital Management LLC Sells 39,313 Shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG)

Highland Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 32.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 80,309 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,313 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble makes up approximately 0.8% of Highland Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Highland Capital Management LLC's holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $13,686,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PG. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 155 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Navigoe LLC bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Hoey Investments Inc. grew its position in Procter & Gamble by 321.7% during the fourth quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 194 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Finally, LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company's stock.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of Procter & Gamble stock traded up $1.37 on Friday, reaching $160.00. The stock had a trading volume of 19,250,153 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,440,800. Procter & Gamble Company has a 1 year low of $156.58 and a 1 year high of $180.43. The company has a market cap of $375.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The business's 50 day moving average is $162.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.66.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.01. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.46% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The firm had revenue of $19.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.42 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.52 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 21st were paid a $1.0568 dividend. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. This represents a $4.23 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 21st. Procter & Gamble's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.14%.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In other news, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 10,520 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $1,669,208.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 25,182 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,995,627.94. This trade represents a 29.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jennifer L. Davis sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.38, for a total transaction of $161,380.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 51,965 shares in the company, valued at $8,386,111.70. This represents a 1.89% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PG has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $200.00 to $181.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley set a $180.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Redburn Atlantic lowered shares of Procter & Gamble from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $161.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Procter & Gamble from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $177.00 in a report on Friday, April 25th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $178.45.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble Co engages in the provision of branded consumer packaged goods. It operates through the following segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric and Home Care, and Baby, Feminine and Family Care. The Beauty segment offers hair, skin, and personal care. The Grooming segment consists of shave care like female and male blades and razors, pre and post shave products, and appliances.