Swedbank AB Has $330.34 Million Stake in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

Key Points

• Swedbank AB trimmed its stake in Colgate‑Palmolive by 3.4%, now owning 4,180,415 shares (about 0.52% of the company) valued at $330.34 million per its latest SEC filing.
• Colgate beat expectations for the quarter with EPS $0.97 vs. $0.94 and revenue of $5.32 billion (up 8.4% year‑over‑year); analysts’ consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $95.88.
• Management raised the quarterly dividend to $0.53 (annualized $2.12, ~2.5% yield), while insiders have sold 86,840 shares (~$8.26M) in the past 90 days and institutional ownership stands at 80.41%.

Swedbank AB trimmed its stake in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,180,415 shares of the company's stock after selling 148,096 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned about 0.52% of Colgate-Palmolive worth $330,336,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,787,904 shares of the company's stock worth $138,902,000 after purchasing an additional 63,148 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 189,723 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,992,000 after buying an additional 1,227 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 976,293 shares of the company's stock valued at $77,147,000 after acquiring an additional 19,508 shares during the last quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $435,000. Finally, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co raised its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 14.2% in the 4th quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 211,917 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,746,000 after purchasing an additional 26,300 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE:CL opened at $86.35 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.33, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $87.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $84.21. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a fifty-two week low of $74.54 and a fifty-two week high of $99.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.27 billion, a PE ratio of 33.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.39 and a beta of 0.31.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 386.76%. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.91 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This is a positive change from Colgate-Palmolive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Colgate-Palmolive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $99.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Monday. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.88.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.81, for a total transaction of $1,467,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,018,691.15. This represents a 59.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total value of $1,506,320.53. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 13,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,306,757.53. This trade represents a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 86,840 shares of company stock valued at $8,263,034. 0.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company with a long history in household and personal care categories. The business traces its roots to the early 19th century and has evolved into a multinational manufacturer and marketer of everyday consumer goods focused on health, hygiene and home care.

The company's core activities center on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Its product portfolio includes toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash in oral care; soaps, body washes and deodorants in personal care; dishwashing liquids, surface cleaners and other household products in home care; and scientifically formulated pet foods under its pet nutrition business.

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