Saratoga Research & Investment Management Lowers Stock Position in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

Saratoga Research & Investment Management decreased its position in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 166,693 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,878 shares during the period. Procter & Gamble accounts for 1.4% of Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $27,946,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PG. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 95.3% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC now owns 207 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 972.0% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 268 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 172,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,313,845.76. This represents a 34.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.68, for a total value of $6,078,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,051 shares in the company, valued at $3,829,817.68. The trade was a 61.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 143,450 shares of company stock valued at $23,988,008. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of Procter & Gamble stock opened at $167.94 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $393.80 billion, a PE ratio of 26.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $153.52 and a 12 month high of $180.43. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $168.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $169.31.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.35% and a return on equity of 33.00%. The firm had revenue of $21.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a dividend of $1.0065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $173.00 to $172.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 24th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $164.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $181.82.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble Co engages in the provision of branded consumer packaged goods. It operates through the following segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric and Home Care, and Baby, Feminine and Family Care. The Beauty segment offers hair, skin, and personal care. The Grooming segment consists of shave care like female and male blades and razors, pre and post shave products, and appliances.