Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Put Options on Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB)

The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Investors purchased 17,322 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 137% compared to the typical daily volume of 7,318 put options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on CPB shares. Stephens cut their price target on Campbell’s from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Campbell’s in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Campbell’s from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their target price for the company from $28.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Thursday. Barclays reduced their target price on Campbell’s from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Campbell’s from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and seven have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $27.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Campbell’s

In other news, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.51, for a total transaction of $71,577.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,264 shares in the company, valued at approximately $669,748.64. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 11,550 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.14, for a total transaction of $325,017.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 43,777 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,231,884.78. The trade was a 20.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 19.78% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Campbell’s

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CPB. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in Campbell’s by 534.8% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 4,937,170 shares of the company’s stock worth $155,916,000 after buying an additional 4,159,398 shares during the last quarter. Brandywine Managers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Campbell’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $92,793,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new position in shares of Campbell’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $77,940,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Campbell’s by 42.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 7,995,733 shares of the company’s stock worth $252,505,000 after acquiring an additional 2,387,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its holdings in Campbell’s by 175.7% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,730,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,823,000 after purchasing an additional 2,377,488 shares in the last quarter. 52.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Campbell’s Price Performance

Shares of CPB stock traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $21.35. The company had a trading volume of 7,376,812 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,125,119. Campbell’s has a 12 month low of $21.19 and a 12 month high of $40.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 1.01. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $26.76 and its 200 day moving average is $29.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.67, a PEG ratio of 8.43 and a beta of -0.02.

Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). Campbell’s had a net margin of 5.48% and a return on equity of 19.96%. The company had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.74 earnings per share. Campbell’s’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Campbell’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Campbell’s will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. Campbell’s’s payout ratio is currently 85.25%.

Campbell’s Company Profile

Campbell’s (NASDAQ: CPB) is a leading manufacturer of shelf-stable foods and beverages, best known for its iconic soups and broths. Headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, the company offers a diverse portfolio of products designed to meet consumer demand for convenient, affordable meals and snacks. Since its founding in 1869, Campbell’s has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions to expand its presence in the food industry.

The company’s brand portfolio includes Campbell’s Condensed Soups, V8 juices, Prego pasta sauces, Swanson broths and stocks, Pace salsas and dips, and Pepperidge Farm baked snacks.