Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 15,328 Shares of The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 10.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 130,226 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,328 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.'s holdings in Campbell Soup were worth $5,448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Campbell Soup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Campbell Soup by 45.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Campbell Soup during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Quent Capital LLC lifted its stake in Campbell Soup by 77.7% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Campbell Soup during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. 52.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Campbell Soup Price Performance

CPB stock traded up $0.68 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $37.53. The stock had a trading volume of 2,536,347 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,766,827. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.82. The Campbell Soup Company has a 52 week low of $36.02 and a 52 week high of $52.81.

Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Campbell Soup had a return on equity of 23.79% and a net margin of 5.57%. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.74 billion. Campbell Soup's revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Campbell Soup Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current year.

Campbell Soup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell Soup's dividend payout ratio is 90.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CPB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Campbell Soup from $47.00 to $40.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Campbell Soup from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Campbell Soup in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Campbell Soup to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Campbell Soup from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $48.00 to $37.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $44.86.

Insider Activity at Campbell Soup

In other news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Campbell Soup Profile

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.