Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG Stock: Heritage Wealth Management Inc. Lowers Holdings

Key Points

• Heritage Wealth Management cut its Procter & Gamble stake by 14.7% in the third quarter, selling 18,365 shares and retaining 106,975 shares valued at approximately $15.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 65.77% of PG.
• Procter & Gamble exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.00 in EPS on $23.28 billion in revenue, with sales rising 4% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.0885, equivalent to a 2.7% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive but mixed: PG has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and a $170.57 average price target, while some firms upgraded the stock and others downgraded it to “Hold.”

Heritage Wealth Management Inc. lessened its position in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 14.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 106,975 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,365 shares during the period. Procter & Gamble comprises about 3.9% of Heritage Wealth Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Heritage Wealth Management Inc.'s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $15,541,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,862,105,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 1.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 102,216,308 shares of the company's stock worth $14,988,999,000 after purchasing an additional 965,461 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the second quarter worth about $3,850,628,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the second quarter worth about $2,281,505,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Procter & Gamble by 2.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,797,916 shares of the company's stock worth $1,704,182,000 after buying an additional 300,280 shares during the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of PG opened at $161.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $374.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.72. Procter & Gamble Company has a 52 week low of $137.62 and a 52 week high of $167.25. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $149.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $148.94.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $23.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.80 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 31.02% and a net margin of 18.23%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.99 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be issued a $1.0885 dividend. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 23rd. Procter & Gamble's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 4,181 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.71, for a total value of $671,928.51. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,296 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,815,380.16. This trade represents a 27.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Marc Pritchard sold 4,030 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.79, for a total transaction of $579,473.70. Following the transaction, the insider owned 187,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,888,873.79. This represents a 2.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 58,647 shares of company stock worth $9,268,508. 0.23% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $166.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. DZ Bank downgraded Procter & Gamble from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Argus lowered Procter & Gamble from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Evercore upgraded Procter & Gamble from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $166.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $170.57.

Procter & Gamble News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker upgraded PG from “hold” to “buy,” providing a positive signal for the stock and reflecting greater confidence in the company’s outlook. Freedom Broker upgrades Procter & Gamble to buy from hold
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal remains strong: Articles highlighted PG as a long-standing dividend leader, supporting its appeal to income-focused and defensive investors. The company’s record of dividend increases may help underpin demand for the shares, particularly when investors favor stable consumer-staples businesses. Dividend Kings article Trusted dividend stocks article
• Neutral Sentiment: Bond issuance adds balance-sheet context: PG’s euro- and dollar-denominated bond sale provides liquidity and funding flexibility, but it also draws attention to leverage, interest costs, and the company’s relatively elevated valuation. Procter & Gamble bond sale
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth story under review: Commentary on PG points to accelerating revenue growth, while also noting that higher operating costs could pressure margins and earnings. Investors are weighing improved sales momentum against cost inflation. Procter & Gamble revenue growth and costs What changed in Procter & Gamble’s story
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed rating signals and valuation risk: DZ Bank downgraded PG from “strong-buy” to “hold.” With shares trading at a premium valuation, a more cautious analyst stance could weigh on upside unless earnings growth accelerates. DZ Bank rating change
• Negative Sentiment: Advertising challenge produced only a limited win: Following PG’s challenge, the National Advertising Division supported Carpe’s $19.95 reference price but recommended changes or removal of other savings, free-shipping, comparative-performance, and “first” 100-hour protection claims. The outcome may modestly strengthen competitive advertising standards, but it does not represent a material financial catalyst for PG. National Advertising Division decision involving Carpe

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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