Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Shares Purchased by Voya Investment Management LLC

Voya Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 487,457 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 20,337 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Colgate-Palmolive worth $44,315,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in CL. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 6,752 shares of the company's stock worth $591,000 after acquiring an additional 943 shares during the period. Aviva PLC grew its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 973,421 shares of the company's stock worth $88,494,000 after purchasing an additional 114,855 shares during the last quarter. Peak Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Colgate-Palmolive in the fourth quarter worth $1,315,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter valued at $4,066,000. Finally, Impact Partnership Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter valued at $803,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

NYSE:CL traded down $0.93 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $91.27. 1,183,774 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,654,696. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $92.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $92.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.40. Colgate-Palmolive has a 1 year low of $85.32 and a 1 year high of $109.30.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.05. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 477.77% and a net margin of 14.38%. The company had revenue of $4.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.92 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, March 20th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 6.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 17th. This is a boost from Colgate-Palmolive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.28%. Colgate-Palmolive's dividend payout ratio is 58.76%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on CL shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $111.00 to $104.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group raised their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $109.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $89.00 to $86.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $95.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $102.39.

Colgate-Palmolive Profile

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.