Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) Hits New 1-Year Low Following Insider Selling

Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $40.26 and last traded at $40.45, with a volume of 229883 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $40.50.

Specifically, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.90, for a total transaction of $83,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,551 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $693,486.90. This trade represents a 10.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on CPB shares. Argus raised Campbell Soup from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $51.00 price objective on shares of Campbell Soup in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Campbell Soup from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 11th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $51.00 target price on shares of Campbell Soup in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Campbell Soup from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.92.

Campbell Soup Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $43.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Campbell Soup Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.85%. This is a boost from Campbell Soup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Campbell Soup’s payout ratio is 85.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Campbell Soup

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pensionfund Sabic increased its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 43.3% during the fourth quarter. Pensionfund Sabic now owns 29,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,248,000 after buying an additional 9,000 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in Campbell Soup by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 381,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,941,000 after buying an additional 12,331 shares during the last quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Campbell Soup during the 4th quarter worth about $569,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Campbell Soup by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 278,607 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,629,000 after acquiring an additional 17,663 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of Campbell Soup by 1,593.8% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,904,440 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,623,000 after acquiring an additional 1,792,005 shares in the last quarter. 52.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Campbell Soup

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.