Stifel Nicolaus Downgrades Colgate-Palmolive to Hold

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) has recently faced a downgrade, as research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus changed their rating from "buy" to "hold." This decision was announced in a report made available to investors on Monday. Additionally, the price target for Colgate-Palmolive stock has been revised down from $105.00 to $101.00. Based on this new price objective, there is a potential upside of approximately 5.64% from the stock’s current price.

Recent Analyst Opinions

Other financial institutions have also shared their views on Colgate-Palmolive in recent reports. Notably, Citigroup increased its price target on the stock from $103.00 to $112.00, while maintaining a "buy" recommendation on July 10th. On the other hand, HSBC Global Research demoted Colgate-Palmolive from a "strong-buy" to a "hold" rating in a note released on July 26th. Meanwhile, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price from $100.00 to $103.00 and categorized the stock as "market perform" on July 30th.

TD Cowen also revised their price target upward from $110.00 to $115.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating the same day. Furthermore, Redburn Atlantic upgraded the stock to a "hold" rating in a report published on August 1st. Currently, one analyst has assigned a sell rating, nine have placed a hold rating, and thirteen analysts have issued buy ratings for the stock. According to MarketBeat, Colgate-Palmolive holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $105.79.

Stock Performance Overview

As of Monday, shares of Colgate-Palmolive opened at $95.61. The company has a market capitalization of $78.44 billion and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30.26. Colgate-Palmolive’s price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio stands at 3.54 with a beta of 0.40. Currently, the 50-day simple moving average for the stock is $103.15, while the 200-day simple moving average is $98.06. Over the past year, Colgate-Palmolive recorded a low of $71.46 and a high of $109.30. Other financial metrics include a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.90, a current ratio of 1.06, and a quick ratio of 0.70.

Recent Financial Announcements

The company recently reported its quarterly earnings on October 25th, where it announced earnings per share (EPS) of $0.91, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. The revenue for the quarter reached $5.03 billion, slightly exceeding analyst expectations of $5.01 billion. Colgate-Palmolive demonstrated a remarkable return on equity of 470.19% and a net margin of 14.21%. Analysts are projecting that the company will post an EPS of 3.57 for the current year.

Insider Trading Activity

On the insider trading front, Sally Massey, an executive at Colgate-Palmolive, sold 15,850 shares of stock on August 6th at an average price of $103.28, totaling $1,636,988.00. Following this sale, Massey holds 13,942 shares valued at around $1,439,929.76. Moreover, another insider, Panagiotis Tsourapas, sold 14,794 shares on August 8th at an average price of $102.94, amounting to $1,522,894.36. Insider sales during the last quarter totaled 43,490 shares, worth approximately $4,486,063, while insiders collectively own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investor Interest

Colgate-Palmolive has seen notable activity from hedge funds and institutional investors in recent months. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. established a new position in Colgate-Palmolive during the second quarter, valued at around $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC elevated its stake by 46.5%, now owning 394 shares worth $38,000 after adding 125 shares in the last quarter. In a significant move, Gradient Investments LLC boosted its holdings by 150.4%, now owning 666 shares valued at $65,000 after purchasing 400 additional shares. Other institutions like Financial Connections Group Inc. and Triad Wealth Partners LLC also acquired new stakes in the company, indicating strong institutional interest as 80.41% of the stock is now owned by institutional investors.

Company Overview

Colgate-Palmolive Company is engaged in the manufacture and sale of consumer products both in the U.S. and internationally. It operates through two main segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care, and Pet Nutrition. The company offers an extensive range of products including toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, liquid hand soaps, shampoos, and various household and personal care items.

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