Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Trading Down 0.7%

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)’s stock price fell 0.7% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $165.50 and last traded at $165.60. 910,245 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 6,485,615 shares. The stock had previously closed at $166.80.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on PG shares. Argus lifted their target price on Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $187.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.74.

Procter & Gamble Stock Down 0.8 %

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $166.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $159.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.70 billion, a PE ratio of 27.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 19th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.10. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.00% and a return on equity of 33.91%. The firm had revenue of $20.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.43 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.0065 per share. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 19th. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Sundar G. Raman sold 31,924 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.95, for a total transaction of $5,329,711.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 19,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,179,061.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Sundar G. Raman sold 31,924 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.95, for a total transaction of $5,329,711.80. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 19,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,179,061.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO R. Alexandra Keith sold 855 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.50, for a total transaction of $135,517.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $634,634. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 154,544 shares of company stock valued at $25,413,051. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Wyrmwood Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 64.7% during the first quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Procter & Gamble

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.