Norges Bank Acquires New Position in Edgewell Personal Care Co (NYSE:EPC)

Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Edgewell Personal Care Co (NYSE:EPC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 139,414 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,684,000. Norges Bank owned approximately 0.29% of Edgewell Personal Care at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brandes Investment Partners LP grew its stake in Edgewell Personal Care by 21.1% in the 4th quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 2,041,665 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,600,000 after buying an additional 355,224 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Edgewell Personal Care by 40.5% in the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 878,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,514,000 after buying an additional 253,014 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Edgewell Personal Care during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,473,000. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Edgewell Personal Care by 563.6% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 148,553 shares of the company's stock worth $5,400,000 after buying an additional 126,168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Edgewell Personal Care during the fourth quarter worth about $3,866,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.91% of the company's stock.

Edgewell Personal Care Price Performance

NYSE:EPC traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $29.91. The company had a trading volume of 27,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 554,649. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 16.34 and a beta of 0.94. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $30.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.14. Edgewell Personal Care Co has a 52-week low of $26.65 and a 52-week high of $41.50.

Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE:EPC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.13 by ($0.06). Edgewell Personal Care had a return on equity of 9.29% and a net margin of 4.09%. As a group, research analysts expect that Edgewell Personal Care Co will post 3.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Edgewell Personal Care Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 5th. Edgewell Personal Care's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.79%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on EPC. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Edgewell Personal Care from $37.00 to $35.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Edgewell Personal Care from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Edgewell Personal Care from $53.00 to $40.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays reduced their target price on Edgewell Personal Care from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Edgewell Personal Care from $48.00 to $43.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $36.29.

Edgewell Personal Care Company Profile

Edgewell Personal Care Company is a manufacturer and marketer of personal care products in the wet shave, sun and skin care, feminine care and infant care categories. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had a portfolio of over 25 brands. It manages its business in four segments: Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, Feminine Care and All Other.