Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG Shares Bought by Ameritas Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its Procter & Gamble stake by 77.4% in the fourth quarter, ending with 38,732 shares valued at about $5.55 million. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds now own 65.77% of PG shares.
• Procter & Gamble reported better-than-expected earnings of $1.59 per share, though revenue of $21.24 billion came in slightly below estimates. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.0885 per share, or $4.35 annually, for a 3.0% yield.
• Analysts remain generally constructive, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.06, even as some firms trimmed targets. However, recent insider selling by the CEO and chairman and concerns about inflation-related margin pressure have weighed on sentiment.

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 77.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,732 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 16,901 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $5,551,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Maseco LLP purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 121.5% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 237 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID increased its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 162.6% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 239 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Procter & Gamble from $142.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $165.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on Procter & Gamble from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $167.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $159.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $161.06.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PG opened at $143.94 on Wednesday. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $147.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $148.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $335.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $137.62 and a 12 month high of $170.99.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.03. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.00% and a net margin of 19.16%.The business had revenue of $21.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.54 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.090 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.0885 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is presently 63.60%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 36,093 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.33, for a total transaction of $5,858,976.69. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,994 shares in the company, valued at $5,680,576.02. The trade was a 50.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Jon R. Moeller sold 162,232 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.45, for a total value of $26,354,588.40. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 319,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at $51,884,093.25. This represents a 33.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 220,852 shares of company stock worth $35,880,848. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Procter & Gamble News

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Procter & Gamble was highlighted as a high-quality dividend stock and a defensive business selling everyday necessities, which can appeal to investors looking for stability in a volatile market.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts noted that PG still has broad-based global growth and that its U.S. Baby Care weakness appears fixable rather than a structural problem, suggesting the brand portfolio remains resilient.
• Neutral Sentiment: PG is attracting increased investor interest and search activity, signaling that traders are actively reassessing the stock after recent weakness.
• Neutral Sentiment: A broader market discussion flagged consumer staples like PG as a pressured sector when inflation stays elevated and consumers trade down to cheaper alternatives.
• Negative Sentiment: Rising plastic costs tied to higher oil prices could squeeze input margins for consumer packaged goods companies, including PG, if they cannot fully pass along higher costs.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent articles emphasized that PG has fallen in recent months as inflation and margin concerns continue to weigh on sentiment, which may be limiting near-term upside.

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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