Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 1.5% - Here's Why

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report)'s stock price was down 1.5% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $164.63 and last traded at $165.39. Approximately 2,257,046 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 7,019,225 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Piper Sandler restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Friday. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, February 10th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $209.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Barclays reissued an "equal weight" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $180.79.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 0.9 %

The company has a market capitalization of $377.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.43. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $168.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $168.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by ($0.03). Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 18.35%. The firm had revenue of $19.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.42 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.52 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be issued a $1.0568 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. This represents a $4.23 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.62%. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. Procter & Gamble's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.98%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 18,000 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA raised its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 236,616 shares of the company's stock worth $38,833,000 after purchasing an additional 2,179 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 55,912 shares of the company's stock worth $9,374,000 after acquiring an additional 1,818 shares during the last quarter. Copley Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at $668,000. Fortem Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter worth about $569,000. Finally, Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. now owns 123,853 shares of the company's stock valued at $20,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,568 shares during the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Company 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.