Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at DZ Bank

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) was downgraded by stock analysts at DZ Bank from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

PG has been the subject of several other research reports. Argus cut Procter & Gamble from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Barclays raised their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $152.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, September 21st. HSBC cut Procter & Gamble from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $182.00 to $149.00 in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $170.57.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

Shares of PG opened at $158.38 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $367.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.39. The company’s fifty day moving average is $149.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $148.76. Procter & Gamble has a 1 year low of $137.62 and a 1 year high of $167.25.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The company reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.11. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 31.02%. The company had revenue of $23.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.99 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Procter & Gamble will post 6.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO Shailesh Jejurikar sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.09, for a total transaction of $5,708,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 55,391 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,033,718.19. The trade was a 38.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Marc Pritchard sold 4,030 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.79, for a total value of $579,473.70. Following the sale, the insider owned 187,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,888,873.79. This represents a 2.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 58,647 shares of company stock valued at $9,268,508 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Procter & Gamble

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PG. Ellis Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 0.7% in the third quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 8,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,281,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Clark Wealth Partners boosted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 20.6% during the third quarter. Clark Wealth Partners now owns 387 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Whelan Financial grew its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Whelan Financial now owns 3,689 shares of the company’s stock valued at $536,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. KLCM Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. now owns 7,890 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,140,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Midwest Professional Planners LTD. increased its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Midwest Professional Planners LTD. now owns 2,799 shares of the company’s stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Procter & Gamble

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

• Positive Sentiment: P&G’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $2.00 versus the $1.89 consensus and revenue of $23.28 billion versus $22.80 billion expected. Sales increased 4% year over year, while organic sales growth was supported primarily by higher product volumes rather than price increases. P&G Stock May Be Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investment commentary remain broadly constructive. One analysis estimates PG may be about 23% undervalued, while Freedom Broker upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy. P&G’s leading household brands and dependable dividend continue to support its defensive-investment appeal. Freedom Broker Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s quarterly dividend remains an important support for income-focused investors: the annualized payout is approximately $4.35 per share, representing a yield near 2.7% based on the cited stock data. P&G Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: P&G has outperformed the broader market this year, but commentary questions how long that outperformance can continue. With shares trading well above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, some investors may be taking profits. P&G Outperformance Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Higher commodity, oil, packaging and transportation costs could pressure margins if P&G cannot offset them through pricing, productivity gains or favorable product mix. Investors are watching whether the company’s growth can continue while protecting profitability. P&G Commodity Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling, including a 4,181-share transaction valued at roughly $672,000, may add a modest sentiment overhang, although such sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating business conditions. P&G Insider Sale

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) is a global consumer products company that develops, manufactures and markets branded products used in households and personal care. Its portfolio includes personal health and grooming products, beauty and skin care items, baby, feminine and family care products, fabric and home care products, and oral care products.

The company’s well-known brands include Pampers, Tide, Gillette, Crest, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Olay, Old Spice, Dawn, Febreze and Mr.