Northern Financial Advisors Inc Cuts Holdings in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL)

Northern Financial Advisors Inc trimmed its position in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) by 14.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,840 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,002 shares during the quarter. Northern Financial Advisors Inc’s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $531,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CL. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC purchased a new position in Colgate-Palmolive in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the fourth quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter valued at approximately $53,000. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

CL opened at $87.87 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $71.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.12 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.46. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $89.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.54. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52-week low of $82.83 and a 52-week high of $109.30.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.01. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 14.38% and a return on equity of 477.77%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.28%. Colgate-Palmolive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 56.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CL has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group cut their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $104.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $101.00 price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $92.00 to $83.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $101.16.

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

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.