Northern Trust Corp Raises Stake in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

Northern Trust Corp grew its position in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 10.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,395,208 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,703,757 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble comprises approximately 0.7% of Northern Trust Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Northern Trust Corp owned about 1.25% of Procter & Gamble worth $4,928,107,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lakeridge Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Lakeridge Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,807 shares of the company's stock worth $1,812,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,995 shares of the company's stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Tevis Investment Management increased its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Tevis Investment Management now owns 11,633 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,950,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA raised its position in Procter & Gamble by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 2,078 shares of the company's stock valued at $348,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alhambra Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 5,785 shares of the company's stock worth $970,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company's stock.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PG traded down $2.58 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $159.99. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,784,334 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,158,813. The firm has a market capitalization of $375.15 billion, a PE ratio of 25.48, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52 week low of $156.58 and a 52 week high of $180.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $167.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $168.17.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $19.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.42 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.35% and a return on equity of 33.00%. Procter & Gamble's quarterly revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be given a dividend of $1.0568 per share. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.64%. This is a boost from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Procter & Gamble's dividend payout ratio is currently 66.98%.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In related news, CEO Jennifer L. Davis sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.38, for a total transaction of $161,380.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 51,965 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,386,111.70. This represents a 1.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 18,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.66, for a total transaction of $3,089,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,051 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,785,274.66. The trade was a 44.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 54,000 shares of company stock valued at $9,330,060. Insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on PG shares. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Barclays reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday, March 27th. DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and issued a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $172.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $179.80.

Procter & Gamble Profile

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.