Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 1.4% After Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Procter & Gamble shares fell ~1.4% midday after Jefferies trimmed its price target to $175 (retaining a buy rating); the stock traded as low as $142.32 versus a prior close of $144.49.
• Multiple analysts have lowered targets, leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $162.79, signaling narrower near-term upside and noted earnings risk (Jefferies models modest organic growth and EPS pressure).
• Insiders have been net sellers—about 348,618 shares sold in the last 90 days (~$55.5M)—even as the company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.0885 ($4.35 annual, ~3.1% yield).

Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) dropped 1.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on the stock from $179.00 to $175.00. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Procter & Gamble traded as low as $142.32 and last traded at $142.4790. Approximately 10,898,873 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 2% from the average daily volume of 11,070,649 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.49.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $158.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $166.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $156.00 to $142.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $164.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $162.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $162.79.

Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble

In other news, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 15,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.28, for a total value of $2,461,625.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 44,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,259,595.80. This trade represents a 25.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Susan Street Whaley sold 1,809 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.46, for a total transaction of $288,463.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,215 shares in the company, valued at $4,818,083.90. This represents a 5.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 348,618 shares of company stock worth $55,462,643. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Procter & Gamble

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend support: PG was included in recent dividend-focused lists and has lifted payouts, reinforcing appeal to income investors and providing a steady demand floor for the stock. 3 Giant Dividend Stocks Raising Payouts With Yields Up to 4%
• Positive Sentiment: ESG initiative: Charmin/PG committed to planting additional trees with the Arbor Day Foundation, which can help brand strength and investor perception on sustainability. Charmin Forest Push Adds ESG Angle To Procter And Gamble Story
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment pick-up: Commentators like Jim Cramer called PG “cheap” relative to history, which can attract value-focused buyers after the pullback. Jim Cramer on Procter & Gamble: “It’s as Cheap as I’ve Seen It in Years”
• Neutral Sentiment: Product refresh: Dreft rolled out simplified names and packaging updates—a marketing/product improvement that supports shelf clarity but is unlikely to move near-term results materially. Dreft Simplifies Laundry Care with New Packaging
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target trims: Jefferies trimmed its price target to $175 (while keeping a buy rating), signaling slightly lower near-term upside after reassessing outlook. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on Procter & Gamble to $175
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $162 (still Overweight), another analyst move that narrows perceived upside ahead of earnings. JPMorgan Cuts Procter & Gamble Target to $162
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings risk: Jefferies’ Q3 preview flags cost and geopolitical pressures; it models modest organic growth (~1.6%) and EPS around $1.56 — signs margins may be pressured and make the upcoming report a catalyst for volatility. Procter & Gamble cost pressures in focus for Q3 report
• Negative Sentiment: Growth sustainability questions: Analysts/coverage (e.g., Zacks) note PG’s EPS growth relies on pricing power and cost discipline, but near-term EPS momentum could slow — a watchpoint for investors expecting faster recovery. Procter & Gamble's EPS Growth Story: Sustainable or Slowing Ahead?

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 237,459,756 shares of the company's stock worth $34,030,358,000 after buying an additional 2,829,151 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Procter & Gamble by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 101,618,926 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,563,008,000 after acquiring an additional 984,102 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Procter & Gamble by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 62,647,882 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,962,689,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,556 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,664,783,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 29,612,826 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,243,815,000 after purchasing an additional 1,091,091 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company's stock.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.72. The firm's 50 day moving average is $151.54 and its 200-day moving average is $148.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $331.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.11, a PEG ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 32.21%. The firm had revenue of $22.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.88 EPS. The business's revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a $1.0885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Procter & Gamble's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.67%.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble NYSE: PG is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world's largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G's product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.

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