Washington Capital Management Inc. Increases Holdings in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Washington Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 55.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,900 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,975 shares during the quarter. Campbell's comprises 1.0% of Washington Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Washington Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Campbell's were worth $1,234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Campbell's during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Campbell's during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Campbell's by 45.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in Campbell's during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC grew its holdings in Campbell's by 77.7% during the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the period. 52.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Campbell's Stock Performance

Shares of CPB stock opened at $34.48 on Friday. The Campbell's Company has a 12-month low of $32.95 and a 12-month high of $52.81. The company has a market cap of $10.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.11. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 2nd. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $2.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.44 billion. Campbell's had a return on equity of 23.79% and a net margin of 5.57%. Campbell's's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.75 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Campbell's Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current year.

Campbell's Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.52%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 3rd. Campbell's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CPB has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on Campbell's from $40.00 to $35.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. BNP Paribas upgraded Campbell's to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Campbell's from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Bank of America cut their price target on Campbell's from $37.00 to $33.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on Campbell's from $46.00 to $41.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Campbell's presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $40.39.

Insider Buying and Selling at Campbell's

In other news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total transaction of $99,994.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,727.70. This trade represents a 6.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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.

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