Sciencast Management LP Invests $1.05 Million in The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Sciencast Management LP acquired a new stake in The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 24,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,046,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CPB. Sherman Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Campbell Soup in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Campbell Soup by 45.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new position in Campbell Soup in the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. Quent Capital LLC lifted its position in Campbell Soup by 77.7% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Campbell Soup in the fourth quarter valued at about $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Campbell Soup Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CPB opened at $38.08 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $39.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.47. The stock has a market cap of $11.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.15. The Campbell Soup Company has a fifty-two week low of $36.92 and a fifty-two week high of $52.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

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

Campbell Soup Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.10%. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio is currently 90.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. BNP Paribas raised shares of Campbell Soup to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of 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. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Consumer Edge reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell Soup in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $51.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.23.

Insider Buying and Selling at Campbell Soup

In other Campbell Soup news, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.90, for a total value of $83,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,551 shares in the company, valued at $693,486.90. This represents a 10.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 20.19% of the stock is currently 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.