The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) Shares Sold by Advisory Services Network LLC

Advisory Services Network LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) by 70.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,665 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,540 shares during the quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC’s holdings in Campbell Soup were worth $321,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of CPB. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Campbell Soup during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Campbell Soup by 45.5% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Quent Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Campbell Soup by 77.7% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the period. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Campbell Soup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 20.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CPB has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $51.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Consumer Edge restated an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell Soup in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Campbell Soup from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Campbell Soup in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Campbell Soup from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $44.86.

Campbell Soup Price Performance

CPB stock opened at $37.53 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $39.02 and a 200-day moving average of $41.89. The company has a market cap of $11.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The Campbell Soup Company has a 12-month low of $36.02 and a 12-month high of $52.81.

Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.74 billion. Campbell Soup had a return on equity of 23.79% and a net margin of 5.57%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Campbell Soup Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell Soup Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.16%. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.17%.

Campbell Soup 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.