Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Shares Bought by Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc.

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) by 25.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 21,000 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,200 shares during the period. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $1,674,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Avion Wealth lifted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 78.1% in the 4th quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 399 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 48.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 142.0% in the 3rd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

Shares of CL opened at $87.59 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $87.10 and its 200-day moving average is $80.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.34, a P/E/G ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.59, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.71. Colgate-Palmolive has a 12-month low of $67.62 and a 12-month high of $90.37.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 26th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $4.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.89 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 11.82% and a return on equity of 509.75%. The business’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.77 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 19th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. This is a boost from Colgate-Palmolive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is currently 71.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on CL shares. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $93.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James upgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $91.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 29th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Colgate-Palmolive presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.50.

Insider Transactions at Colgate-Palmolive

In other news, CEO Noel R. Wallace sold 50,000 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.15, for a total value of $4,157,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 274,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,797,983.85. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director C Martin Harris sold 2,760 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.50, for a total transaction of $233,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 19,272 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,628,484. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Noel R. Wallace sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.15, for a total value of $4,157,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 274,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,797,983.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 232,371 shares of company stock valued at $19,505,099 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.