Equitable Trust Co. Decreases Holdings in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG)

Equitable Trust Co. trimmed its position in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) by 3.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,516 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,400 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $6,564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Navigoe LLC purchased a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hoey Investments Inc. increased its stake in Procter & Gamble by 321.7% in the 4th quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. 10Elms LLP purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Procter & Gamble by 566.7% in the 1st quarter. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE PG opened at $158.82 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Procter & Gamble Company has a twelve month low of $151.90 and a twelve month high of $180.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $372.37 billion, a PE ratio of 25.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $161.12 and its 200 day moving average is $164.24.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.01. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 18.46%. The company had revenue of $19.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 18th will be given a dividend of $1.0568 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 18th. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.66%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.14%.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In related news, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 10,520 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total transaction of $1,669,208.40. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 25,182 shares in the company, valued at $3,995,627.94. The trade was a 29.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jennifer L. Davis sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.38, for a total value of $161,380.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 51,965 shares in the company, valued at $8,386,111.70. This trade represents a 1.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on PG shares. Bank of America decreased their price target on Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Redburn Partners set a $161.00 price target on Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. UBS Group decreased their price target on Procter & Gamble from $186.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Erste Group Bank cut Procter & Gamble from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and issued a $170.00 price target (down from $190.00) on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $176.24.

Procter & Gamble 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.