Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Shares Sold by Welch & Forbes LLC

Welch & Forbes LLC trimmed its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) by 0.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 51,125 shares of the company’s stock after selling 241 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $4,648,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Candriam S.C.A. grew its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 349,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,789,000 after acquiring an additional 72,175 shares during the last quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC grew its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC now owns 42,186 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,835,000 after acquiring an additional 1,166 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth about $132,405,000. Promus Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth about $672,000. Finally, Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter worth about $814,000. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $96.00 to $83.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $92.00 to $83.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $103.00 to $97.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $101.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $101.61.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 3.8 %

CL opened at $96.84 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.51, a P/E/G ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.40. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $88.84 and its 200-day moving average is $95.22. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52-week low of $85.32 and a 52-week high of $109.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.40.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.01. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 14.38% and a return on equity of 477.77%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 EPS. Analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.07%. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 56.82%.

Colgate-Palmolive Profile

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.