Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG Stock: D.A. Davidson & CO. Boosts Position

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson increased its Procter & Gamble position by 9% in the third quarter, while institutional investors collectively own 65.77% of PG shares.
• P&G exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.00 EPS and $23.28 billion in revenue; revenue rose 4% year over year. The company maintained its quarterly dividend, equivalent to an annualized $4.35 per share and a roughly 2.7% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average $170.57 price target, though insider selling and rising input costs present potential headwinds.

D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 224,320 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,542 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $32,589,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Paladin Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Toews Corp ADV bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company's stock.

Procter & Gamble Stock Down 0.5%

NYSE:PG opened at $158.38 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $367.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.39. Procter & Gamble Company has a fifty-two week low of $137.62 and a fifty-two week high of $167.25. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $149.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $148.76.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.11. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 31.02%. The firm had revenue of $23.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.99 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Investors of record on Friday, October 23rd will be issued a $1.0885 dividend. This represents a $4.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 23rd. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is presently 65.51%.

Trending Headlines about Procter & Gamble

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

• Positive Sentiment: P&G’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $2.00 versus the $1.89 consensus and revenue of $23.28 billion versus $22.80 billion expected. Sales increased 4% year over year, while organic sales growth was supported primarily by higher product volumes rather than price increases. P&G Stock May Be Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investment commentary remain broadly constructive. One analysis estimates PG may be about 23% undervalued, while Freedom Broker upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy. P&G’s leading household brands and dependable dividend continue to support its defensive-investment appeal. Freedom Broker Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s quarterly dividend remains an important support for income-focused investors: the annualized payout is approximately $4.35 per share, representing a yield near 2.7% based on the cited stock data. P&G Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: P&G has outperformed the broader market this year, but commentary questions how long that outperformance can continue. With shares trading well above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, some investors may be taking profits. P&G Outperformance Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Higher commodity, oil, packaging and transportation costs could pressure margins if P&G cannot offset them through pricing, productivity gains or favorable product mix. Investors are watching whether the company’s growth can continue while protecting profitability. P&G Commodity Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling, including a 4,181-share transaction valued at roughly $672,000, may add a modest sentiment overhang, although such sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating business conditions. P&G Insider Sale

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO Paul Gama sold 4,331 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.27, for a total value of $698,460.37. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 46,793 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,546,307.11. This trade represents a 8.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Shailesh Jejurikar sold 35,000 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.09, for a total value of $5,708,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 55,391 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,033,718.19. The trade was a 38.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 58,647 shares of company stock worth $9,268,508 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on PG. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $161.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $149.00 price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, August 24th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $166.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. UBS Group set a $166.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Procter & Gamble from $164.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $170.57.

About Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Company NYSE: PG is a global consumer products company that develops, manufactures and markets branded products used in households and personal care. Its portfolio includes personal health and grooming products, beauty and skin care items, baby, feminine and family care products, fabric and home care products, and oral care products.

The company's well-known brands include Pampers, Tide, Gillette, Crest, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Olay, Old Spice, Dawn, Febreze and Mr.

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