The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB) Shares Sold by New England Asset Management Inc.

New England Asset Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 12.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 64,320 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,880 shares during the quarter. New England Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Campbell's were worth $2,694,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in Campbell's by 161.8% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 186,277 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,801,000 after buying an additional 115,122 shares during the period. ING Groep NV acquired a new position in Campbell's in the 4th quarter valued at $1,062,000. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Campbell's by 133.3% in the 4th quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 147,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,156,000 after buying an additional 84,000 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Campbell's by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,787,481 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,860,000 after buying an additional 21,849 shares during the period. Finally, Smith Group Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Campbell's in the 4th quarter valued at $293,000. 52.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on CPB shares. BNP Paribas raised shares of Campbell's to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Campbell's in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a "sell" rating and a $36.00 target price on the stock. Consumer Edge restated an "equal weight" rating on shares of Campbell's in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Campbell's from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Campbell's from $51.00 to $44.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Campbell's presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $44.27.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 20.19% of the company's stock.

Campbell's Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of CPB stock opened at $35.94 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $37.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.38. The Campbell's Company has a twelve month low of $35.09 and a twelve month high of $52.81. The company has a market capitalization of $10.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.64, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

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

Campbell's Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.34%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell's's dividend payout ratio is currently 90.17%.

Campbell's Company Profile

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.

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