Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL Shares Sold by South Dakota Investment Council

South Dakota Investment Council decreased its position in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 29.2% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 76,661 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,564 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $6,534,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CL. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 86.7% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Triumph Capital Management raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 329 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, TD Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 326 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

CL opened at $91.56 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $90.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $89.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.33, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The company has a market capitalization of $73.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.33. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 1-year low of $74.54 and a 1-year high of $99.33.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 386.76% and a net margin of 10.04%.The company had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.91 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is presently 82.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $99.00 price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Monday, May 4th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $97.82.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company with a long history in household and personal care categories. The business traces its roots to the early 19th century and has evolved into a multinational manufacturer and marketer of everyday consumer goods focused on health, hygiene and home care.

The company’s core activities center on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Its product portfolio includes toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash in oral care; soaps, body washes and deodorants in personal care; dishwashing liquids, surface cleaners and other household products in home care; and scientifically formulated pet foods under its pet nutrition business.