Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Upgraded to “Buy” at Rothschild & Co Redburn

Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have $100.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of $93.00.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on CL. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $98.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $97.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Evercore upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $102.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.88.

Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CL opened at $81.94 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $89.53 and its 200 day moving average is $83.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $65.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.34. Colgate-Palmolive has a fifty-two week low of $74.54 and a fifty-two week high of $99.33.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 353.72%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. This is a boost from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is currently 80.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 97,843 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.27, for a total transaction of $9,223,659.61. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 55,310 shares in the company, valued at $5,214,073.70. This represents a 63.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Sally Massey sold 15,851 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.03, for a total value of $1,506,320.53. Following the sale, the insider owned 13,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,306,757.53. This represents a 53.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 184,683 shares of company stock valued at $17,486,693. Corporate insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Colgate-Palmolive

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 86.7% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. TD Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management increased its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company with a long history in household and personal care categories. The business traces its roots to the early 19th century and has evolved into a multinational manufacturer and marketer of everyday consumer goods focused on health, hygiene and home care.

The company’s core activities center on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Its product portfolio includes toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash in oral care; soaps, body washes and deodorants in personal care; dishwashing liquids, surface cleaners and other household products in home care; and scientifically formulated pet foods under its pet nutrition business.