Stevens Capital Management LP Boosts Holdings in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG)

Key Points

• Stevens Capital Management LP significantly increased its stake in Procter & Gamble by 188.9% during the 1st quarter, bringing its total holdings to 9,105 shares valued at approximately $1.55 million.
• Analysts have set varying price targets for Procter & Gamble, with Raymond James lowering its target from $190 to $185 while others like Morgan Stanley and Citigroup have set targets of $180 and $181 respectively, reflecting a mixed outlook.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.0568 per share, with an annualized amount of $4.23 and a yield of 2.66%, highlighting its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Stevens Capital Management LP boosted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 188.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,105 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 5,953 shares during the quarter. Stevens Capital Management LP's holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $1,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Navigoe LLC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Hoey Investments Inc. grew its position in Procter & Gamble by 321.7% during the 4th quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 194 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. 10Elms LLP purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Sunbeam Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

NYSE PG traded down $0.82 on Tuesday, reaching $156.29. 6,045,341 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,202,206. Procter & Gamble Company has a one year low of $151.90 and a one year high of $180.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $366.43 billion, a PE ratio of 24.78, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.40. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $160.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $164.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $20.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.79 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.46% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The firm's revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.40 EPS. Analysts expect that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 18th will be given a dividend of $1.0568 per share. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 18th. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is currently 67.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on PG shares. Raymond James Financial dropped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Redburn Partners set a $161.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $160.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an "in-line" rating and set a $170.00 price target (down previously from $190.00) on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, July 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $176.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 10,520 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider owned 25,182 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,995,627.94. The trade was a 29.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

About Procter & Gamble

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.