Private Capital Management LLC Has $1.10 Million Stake in The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Private Capital Management LLC decreased its position in The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB) by 53.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 26,300 shares of the company’s stock after selling 30,000 shares during the period. Private Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Campbell’s were worth $1,101,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of CPB. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Campbell’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Campbell’s by 45.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Campbell’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. Quent Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Campbell’s by 77.7% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Campbell’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Campbell’s

In other Campbell’s news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of Campbell’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares in the company, valued at $1,504,727.70. The trade was a 6.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 20.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Campbell’s Stock Performance

CPB opened at $34.31 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.91. The Campbell’s Company has a 52-week low of $34.27 and a 52-week high of $52.81. The firm has a market cap of $10.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.14. The business’s fifty day moving average is $37.68 and its 200-day moving average is $40.30.

Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Campbell’s had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 23.79%. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.74 billion. The firm’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that The Campbell’s Company will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Campbell’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.55%. Campbell’s’s dividend payout ratio is 90.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on CPB shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Campbell’s in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Campbell’s from $51.00 to $44.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Campbell’s from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Campbell’s from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $48.00 to $37.00 in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Consumer Edge reiterated an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell’s in a report on Monday, March 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $44.27.

Campbell’s Profile

The Campbell’s Company, formerly known as Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Meals & Beverages and Snacks segments. The Meals & Beverages segment engages in the retail and foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.