VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Sells 17,700 Shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al reduced its stake in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) by 6.9% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 240,250 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,700 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $34,904,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the second quarter worth approximately $27,862,105,000. State Street Corp boosted its position in Procter & Gamble by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 102,216,308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,988,999,000 after buying an additional 965,461 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,850,628,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter worth $2,281,505,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,797,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,704,182,000 after acquiring an additional 300,280 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE PG opened at $161.42 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $137.62 and a 12 month high of $167.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $374.14 billion, a PE ratio of 24.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $149.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $148.94.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The company reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $23.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.80 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 31.02%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.99 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be issued a $1.0885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on PG shares. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Barclays boosted their price target on Procter & Gamble from $152.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. TD Cowen upped their price target on Procter & Gamble from $150.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Freedom Broker upgraded Procter & Gamble from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $176.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $166.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $170.57.

Key Headlines Impacting Procter & Gamble

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker upgraded PG from “hold” to “buy,” providing a positive signal for the stock and reflecting greater confidence in the company’s outlook. Freedom Broker upgrades Procter & Gamble to buy from hold
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal remains strong: Articles highlighted PG as a long-standing dividend leader, supporting its appeal to income-focused and defensive investors. The company’s record of dividend increases may help underpin demand for the shares, particularly when investors favor stable consumer-staples businesses. Dividend Kings article Trusted dividend stocks article
• Neutral Sentiment: Bond issuance adds balance-sheet context: PG’s euro- and dollar-denominated bond sale provides liquidity and funding flexibility, but it also draws attention to leverage, interest costs, and the company’s relatively elevated valuation. Procter & Gamble bond sale
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth story under review: Commentary on PG points to accelerating revenue growth, while also noting that higher operating costs could pressure margins and earnings. Investors are weighing improved sales momentum against cost inflation. Procter & Gamble revenue growth and costs What changed in Procter & Gamble’s story
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed rating signals and valuation risk: DZ Bank downgraded PG from “strong-buy” to “hold.” With shares trading at a premium valuation, a more cautious analyst stance could weigh on upside unless earnings growth accelerates. DZ Bank rating change
• Negative Sentiment: Advertising challenge produced only a limited win: Following PG’s challenge, the National Advertising Division supported Carpe’s $19.95 reference price but recommended changes or removal of other savings, free-shipping, comparative-performance, and “first” 100-hour protection claims. The outcome may modestly strengthen competitive advertising standards, but it does not represent a material financial catalyst for PG. National Advertising Division decision involving Carpe

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Susan Whaley sold 2,369 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.34, for a total value of $344,310.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 30,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,466,298.20. This represents a 7.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Andre Schulten sold 3,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.34, for a total value of $568,860.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 65,618 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,536,920.12. The trade was a 5.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 58,647 shares of company stock valued at $9,268,508 over the last ninety days. 0.23% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) is a global consumer products company that develops, manufactures and markets branded products used in households and personal care. Its portfolio includes personal health and grooming products, beauty and skin care items, baby, feminine and family care products, fabric and home care products, and oral care products.

The company’s well-known brands include Pampers, Tide, Gillette, Crest, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Olay, Old Spice, Dawn, Febreze and Mr.