Merit Financial Group LLC Purchases 33,126 Shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) $PG

Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) by 15.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 254,445 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 33,126 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $36,465,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Friday, March 27th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $164.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $166.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $146.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $156.00 to $142.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.00.

Procter & Gamble News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: P&G reaffirmed its shareholder-return commitment — 70th consecutive dividend increase and plans to return ~$15B in 2026 ($10B dividends, $5B buybacks), supporting income investors and buyback-driven EPS. P&G Raised Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating after trimming its price target to $162 (still >10% upside), signaling institutional confidence despite the small PT cut. JPMorgan Adjusts Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Category tailwinds: research flags the fragrance-diffuser market expanding in 2026 with P&G named among leaders — incremental growth opportunity in home/eco and smart‑home subsegments. Fragrance Diffuser Market Report
• Positive Sentiment: Some bullish analysts expect P&G’s upcoming earnings to spur a rally — arguments include easier back‑half comps, potentially beatable guide and attractive cash yields that could attract buyers on any positive print. Earnings Can Spur A Rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus expects earnings growth next week, but models show P&G may lack the “right combination” for a clean beat — set your expectations for a mixed print and watch management commentary. Zacks: Reports Next Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings views: sales and EPS are expected to rise, but tariffs, commodity costs and a premium valuation could pressure margins — near‑term execution and guide matter. Zacks: Pre-Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: P&G warned shareholders about a low‑priced unsolicited mini‑tender from Potemkin Limited and urged rejection — such offers can create short‑term selling pressure or confusion among retail holders. Mini-Tender Warning
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a debate: several analysts and articles flag P&G trading near ~20x earnings and some trims to price targets (RBC lowered its target to $167), leaving some investors on the sidelines despite solid fundamentals. Valuation Keeps Me On Hold Investing.com: Valuation Debate RBC Trimmed Target

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

Shares of PG stock opened at $147.05 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $341.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.79, a PEG ratio of 5.51 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $151.80 and its 200 day moving average is $148.96. Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $137.62 and a 12 month high of $170.99.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $22.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.36 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 32.21%. Procter & Gamble’s revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.88 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.0885 per share. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is 62.67%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 15,169 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.28, for a total transaction of $2,461,625.32. Following the sale, the insider owned 44,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,259,595.80. This trade represents a 25.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 36,093 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.33, for a total transaction of $5,858,976.69. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 34,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,680,576.02. This trade represents a 50.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 348,618 shares of company stock worth $55,462,643. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world’s largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G’s product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.