Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) Sets New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $36.92 and last traded at $37.36, with a volume of 142917 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.53.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CPB. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Campbell Soup from $47.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $44.00 to $41.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Campbell Soup in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $51.00 price target on shares of Campbell Soup in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Campbell Soup from $45.00 to $43.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.17.

Campbell Soup Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $40.31 and a 200 day moving average of $45.36. The stock has a market cap of $11.31 billion, a PE ratio of 20.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.19.

Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 3rd. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.02. Campbell Soup had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 23.79%. Equities analysts predict that The Campbell Soup Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell Soup Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. This is a boost from Campbell Soup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.11%. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio is currently 85.25%.

Insider Activity at Campbell Soup

In other news, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.90, for a total transaction of $83,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,551 shares in the company, valued at $693,486.90. This trade represents a 10.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 20.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Campbell Soup

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Campbell Soup during the third quarter worth $34,000. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Campbell Soup during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Campbell Soup during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in Campbell Soup by 45.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. 52.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Campbell Soup Company Profile

Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Meals & Beverages and Snacks segments. The Meals & Beverages segment engages in the retail and foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.