Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG Stock Sold by Willis Investment Counsel

Willis Investment Counsel decreased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 164,370 shares of the company’s stock after selling 45,000 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $23,880,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PG. Baxter Bros Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the second quarter valued at approximately $12,381,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the second quarter worth approximately $53,549,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the second quarter worth $3,850,628,000. Rokos Capital Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the first quarter worth $29,914,000. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 102,216,308 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,988,999,000 after purchasing an additional 965,461 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on PG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $164.00 to $162.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Evercore upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $166.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $146.00 to $152.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $166.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.20.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of PG traded up $0.78 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $158.47. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,791,793 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,665,914. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Procter & Gamble Company has a 1-year low of $137.62 and a 1-year high of $167.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $368.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $147.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $146.62.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 31.36% and a net margin of 18.44%. The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.48 earnings per share. Procter & Gamble’s revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.890-7.110 EPS. Analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be issued a $1.0885 dividend. This represents a $4.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 23rd. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.71%.

Key Stories Impacting Procter & Gamble

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

• Positive Sentiment: Procter & Gamble raised its dividend for the 70th consecutive year, reinforcing its status as a premier income stock and supporting investor confidence in the durability of its cash flows. The Ultimate Dividend Growth Stock to Buy With $100 Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its “outperform” rating and assigned a $166 price target, implying roughly 4.7% upside from the cited share price. The endorsement suggests confidence in PG’s defensive business model and earnings outlook. Benzinga analyst-rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial commentators highlighted PG’s innovation strategy, including brand investment, artificial-intelligence capabilities and productivity initiatives. These efforts could improve market share and revive organic sales growth over the long term. Procter & Gamble’s Innovation Push
• Positive Sentiment: A new Head & Shoulders Scalp Care Collection uses targeted, clinically tested formulations for different scalp-health needs, providing another example of PG’s effort to premiumize and refresh established brands. Why Is Procter & Gamble Refreshing Its Scalp Care Playbook Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: PG’s fiscal first-quarter results are scheduled for October 22. Preview coverage is centered on whether improving product volumes can offset pricing pressure, with investors watching organic sales, margins and management’s outlook closely. Procter & Gamble Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: PG’s dividend yield is less attractive than Nike’s after Nike’s steep share-price decline, which may encourage income investors to compare alternatives. This is a relative-valuation concern rather than a change to PG’s dividend policy. Nike Now Yields More Than Procter & Gamble

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Procter & Gamble news, CFO Andre Schulten sold 3,914 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.34, for a total transaction of $568,860.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 65,618 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,536,920.12. This represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Susan Whaley sold 2,369 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.34, for a total transaction of $344,310.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,466,298.20. This trade represents a 7.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,135 shares of company stock worth $2,189,970. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Profile

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.