Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Upgraded by Sanford C. Bernstein to Hold Rating

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) to a hold rating in a research report report published on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on CL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $99.00 target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, March 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America dropped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $102.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Colgate-Palmolive from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.88.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

CL opened at $89.40 on Thursday. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52-week low of $74.54 and a 52-week high of $99.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.54 billion, a PE ratio of 34.79, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.33, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.02. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $86.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.25.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 386.76% and a net margin of 10.04%.The business had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.91 earnings per share. Colgate-Palmolive’s revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 82.49%.

Institutional Trading of Colgate-Palmolive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CL. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,578 shares of the company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 76.3% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 46,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,344,000 after buying an additional 20,062 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 2.0% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,136,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the period. Nebula Research & Development LLC raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 165.5% in the second quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC now owns 10,326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $939,000 after buying an additional 6,437 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 21.7% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 657,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,732,000 after buying an additional 116,968 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

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.