Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Up 0.5% – Still a Buy?

Shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) were up 0.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $161.75 and last traded at $161.35. Approximately 7,218,206 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 28% from the average daily volume of 5,628,331 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.50.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on PG. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $174.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Procter & Gamble from $190.00 to $176.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $164.00 price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, October 21st. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Friday, December 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $186.00 to $181.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.65.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $380.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $169.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $169.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.0065 per share. This represents a $4.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 24th. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.48%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 12,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.73, for a total value of $2,210,944.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,804.35. This trade represents a 52.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 47,847 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.84, for a total transaction of $8,604,804.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 39,977 shares in the company, valued at $7,189,463.68. This represents a 54.48 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 73,447 shares of company stock valued at $12,978,820. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Procter & Gamble

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Costello Asset Management INC boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2,142.9% in the 3rd quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 314 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the second quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 58.0% during the fourth quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 376 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. lifted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 138.7% during the third quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. now owns 401 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Company 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.