Two Sigma Advisers LP Boosts Stock Position in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its position in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 272.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,243,300 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,641,400 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned about 0.75% of Campbell's worth $93,949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Campbell's by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,625,605 shares of the company's stock worth $989,440,000 after acquiring an additional 447,203 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Campbell's by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 9,247,213 shares of the company's stock valued at $387,273,000 after acquiring an additional 531,281 shares during the last quarter. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Campbell's by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. now owns 6,925,365 shares of the company's stock worth $290,034,000 after acquiring an additional 35,160 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Campbell's by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,323,332 shares of the company's stock worth $222,420,000 after acquiring an additional 57,717 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Trust Co. grew its position in Campbell's by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Brandywine Trust Co. now owns 4,867,984 shares of the company's stock worth $203,871,000 after acquiring an additional 84,778 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 52.35% of the company's stock.

Campbell's Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ CPB traded down $0.61 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $33.50. 5,980,389 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,839,639. The company has a market cap of $9.99 billion, a PE ratio of 18.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.14. The Campbell's Company has a one year low of $32.95 and a one year high of $52.81. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $37.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.74 billion. Campbell's had a return on equity of 23.79% and a net margin of 5.57%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that The Campbell's Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current year.

Campbell's Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.66%. Campbell's's payout ratio is 90.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on CPB. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Campbell's from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $48.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Campbell's from $41.00 to $37.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Campbell's from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Campbell's in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "sell" rating and a $36.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Consumer Edge reissued an "equal weight" rating on shares of Campbell's in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $42.80.

Insider Activity at Campbell's

In related news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. The trade was a 6.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Campbell's

The Campbell's Company, formerly known as Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Meals & Beverages and Snacks segments. The Meals & Beverages segment engages in the retail and foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.