The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) Shares Acquired by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) by 17.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,815,243 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 272,461 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble makes up about 0.9% of Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $304,325,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of PG. Strategic Advisors LLC lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 55,912 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,374,000 after buying an additional 1,818 shares during the last quarter. Copley Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter valued at about $668,000. Fortem Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $569,000. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA increased its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 236,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,833,000 after buying an additional 2,179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. increased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. now owns 123,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,764,000 after acquiring an additional 2,568 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PG opened at $176.06 on Monday. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52 week low of $153.52 and a 52 week high of $180.43. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $169.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market cap of $412.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 18.35%. The business had revenue of $21.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.66 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.84 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th were given a dividend of $1.0065 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.29%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.01%.

Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 172,814 shares in the company, valued at $28,313,845.76. This trade represents a 34.36 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.66, for a total transaction of $3,089,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,051 shares in the company, valued at $3,785,274.66. This represents a 44.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 143,450 shares of company stock valued at $23,988,008 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Procter & Gamble from $173.00 to $172.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays raised their target price on Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy 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 price target of $181.11.

Procter & Gamble Profile

Procter & Gamble Co engages in the provision of branded consumer packaged goods. It operates through the following segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric and Home Care, and Baby, Feminine and Family Care. The Beauty segment offers hair, skin, and personal care. The Grooming segment consists of shave care like female and male blades and razors, pre and post shave products, and appliances.