25,363 Shares in The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) Acquired by ING Groep NV

ING Groep NV purchased a new stake in shares of The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 25,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,062,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Campbell Soup by 133.3% during the fourth quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 147,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,156,000 after buying an additional 84,000 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its holdings in Campbell Soup by 161.8% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 186,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,801,000 after acquiring an additional 115,122 shares during the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Campbell Soup by 49.8% during the 4th quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 15,145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $634,000 after purchasing an additional 5,038 shares in the last quarter. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd grew its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd now owns 200,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,378,000 after purchasing an additional 3,892 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund grew its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 6,359 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. 52.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.90, for a total transaction of $83,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $693,486.90. The trade was a 10.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 20.19% of the company’s stock.

Campbell Soup Trading Up 3.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CPB opened at $40.59 on Monday. The Campbell Soup Company has a 12-month low of $36.92 and a 12-month high of $52.81. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $39.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.84. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $12.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19.

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

Campbell Soup Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.84%. This is a positive change from Campbell Soup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 85.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CPB has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $47.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 24th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Campbell Soup in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Campbell Soup from $44.00 to $41.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $51.00 price objective on shares of Campbell Soup in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $51.00 target price on shares of Campbell Soup in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.17.

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.