RBF Capital LLC Increases Position in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

RBF Capital LLC boosted its stake in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 25.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 50,000 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the period. RBF Capital LLC's holdings in Campbell's were worth $2,094,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Campbell's by 1,593.8% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,904,440 shares of the company's stock valued at $91,623,000 after purchasing an additional 1,792,005 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Campbell's by 38.2% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,645,548 shares of the company's stock worth $194,556,000 after buying an additional 1,282,957 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Campbell's during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,908,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Campbell's by 294.4% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 837,301 shares of the company's stock worth $35,115,000 after acquiring an additional 625,010 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Campbell's by 15.8% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,030,627 shares of the company's stock worth $168,790,000 after acquiring an additional 550,210 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.35% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total transaction of $99,994.94. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,504,727.70. The trade was a 6.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 20.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Campbell's Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of CPB stock traded down $0.48 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $35.81. The company's stock had a trading volume of 910,087 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,754,687. The stock has a market cap of $10.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.91. The Campbell's Company has a 52-week low of $35.82 and a 52-week high of $52.81. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $38.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.30.

Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.74 billion. Campbell's had a return on equity of 23.79% and a net margin of 5.57%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that The Campbell's Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell's Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.36%. Campbell's's payout ratio is 90.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CPB. BNP Paribas raised Campbell's to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Campbell's from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Campbell's from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Campbell's in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a "sell" rating and a $36.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Consumer Edge reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating on shares of Campbell's in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $44.27.

About Campbell's

The Campbell's Company, formerly known as 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.