The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Reduce" by Brokerages

The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Reduce" from the eighteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $44.27.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Campbell's in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. BNP Paribas raised Campbell's to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Campbell's from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Campbell's from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th.

Campbell's Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CPB traded up $0.42 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $36.46. 2,677,016 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,766,196. The company has a market capitalization of $10.87 billion, a PE ratio of 19.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. Campbell's has a 52-week low of $35.35 and a 52-week high of $52.81. 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 business's fifty day simple moving average is $38.69 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.15.

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

Campbell's Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.28%. Campbell's's dividend payout ratio is currently 90.17%.

Insider Transactions at Campbell's

In related news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 20.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Campbell's

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CPB. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Campbell's by 1,593.8% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,904,440 shares of the company's stock valued at $91,623,000 after buying an additional 1,792,005 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in Campbell's by 161.8% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 186,277 shares of the company's stock worth $7,801,000 after purchasing an additional 115,122 shares during the period. ING Groep NV acquired a new position in shares of Campbell's in the fourth quarter valued at $1,062,000. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Campbell's by 133.3% in the fourth quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 147,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,156,000 after purchasing an additional 84,000 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Campbell's by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,787,481 shares of the company's stock worth $74,860,000 after buying an additional 21,849 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.35% of the company's stock.

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.