National Pension Service Boosts Holdings in Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL

National Pension Service boosted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) by 13.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,384,089 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 274,534 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $188,391,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 86.7% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC purchased a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock opened at $90.26 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.33. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12-month low of $74.54 and a 12-month high of $99.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.12, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.31. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $86.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $85.64.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 386.76%. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. Colgate-Palmolive’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th were paid 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 was Monday, April 20th. This is a positive change from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $102.00 target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Evercore increased their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.88.

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.