United Asset Strategies Inc. Reduces Holdings in Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG

United Asset Strategies Inc. cut its position in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) by 17.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,597 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,710 shares during the quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $2,522,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of PG. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of PG stock opened at $142.81 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Procter & Gamble Company has a fifty-two week low of $137.62 and a fifty-two week high of $170.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $150.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $148.74. The stock has a market cap of $331.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.48 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 32.21%. The company had revenue of $22.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.88 earnings per share. Procter & Gamble’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.96 EPS for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.0885 per share. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. Procter & Gamble’s payout ratio is presently 62.67%.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 36,093 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.33, for a total transaction of $5,858,976.69. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,994 shares in the company, valued at $5,680,576.02. The trade was a 50.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Susan Street Whaley sold 1,809 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.46, for a total transaction of $288,463.14. Following the sale, the insider owned 30,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,818,083.90. This represents a 5.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 348,618 shares of company stock valued at $55,462,643 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Procter & Gamble

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase cited among major dividend stocks, supporting income investor interest and underlining P&G’s cash-return profile. 3 Giant Dividend Stocks Raising Payouts With Yields Up to 4%
• Positive Sentiment: Leadership transition to Shailesh Jejurikar as CEO and a strategic reset including a Dreft brand overhaul signal management action on growth/priorities — a governance/strategy positive for investors. Procter And Gamble Resets Priorities With New CEO And Dreft Overhaul
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains constructive (average rating ~“Moderate Buy”), providing a supportive backdrop despite some target trims. Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: P&G publicly refuted a small unsolicited mini‑tender (100,000 shares at $100) — largely procedural and limited in size, so minimal fundamental impact but worth noting for governance/market noise. Is The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) Management Justified to Refute Mini-Tender Offer?
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $166 (from $175) while keeping an Overweight rating — reduces upside expectations and can pressure sentiment. Morgan Stanley Cuts Procter & Gamble Price Target to $166 from $175, Maintains Overweight Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies trimmed its target modestly to $175 (from $179) — another cap on near-term upside despite retaining a Buy view. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on Procter & Gamble to $175 from $179, Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its target to $162 ahead of earnings — another analyst revision that trims expectations heading into the April 24 Q3 report. JPMorgan Cuts Procter & Gamble (PG) Target to $162 Ahead of Earnings Season
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to analyst downgrade(s) has caused intraday weakness in recent coverage (reported trading down ~1.7%), reflecting sensitivity to analyst views ahead of results. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Trading Down 1.7% After Analyst Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies and other analysts flag cost pressures and geopolitical risks ahead of the fiscal Q3 report (April 24): investors will focus on margins, pricing cadence and organic sales to judge near-term upside. Procter & Gamble cost pressures in focus for Q3 report

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $164.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $159.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $158.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on Procter & Gamble from $156.00 to $142.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.32.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world’s largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G’s product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.