The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) Position Increased by Alta Advisers Ltd

Alta Advisers Ltd grew its position in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) by 18.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,868 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,246 shares during the period. Procter & Gamble comprises about 0.8% of Alta Advisers Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Alta Advisers Ltd’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $1,319,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lakeridge Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Procter & Gamble by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Lakeridge Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,807 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,812,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Tevis Investment Management boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Tevis Investment Management now owns 11,633 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,950,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 2,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $348,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alhambra Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 5,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $970,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Trading Down 2.8 %

NYSE:PG opened at $165.91 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $389.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.43. 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 Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $156.69 and a 12 month high of $180.43. The company’s 50 day moving average is $168.32 and its 200-day moving average is $168.45.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.66 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.84 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be paid a $1.0568 dividend. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 21st. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $164.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Procter & Gamble from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $181.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 172,814 shares in the company, valued at $28,313,845.76. This represents a 34.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.68, for a total value of $6,078,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,829,817.68. This trade represents a 61.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 143,450 shares of company stock worth $23,988,008. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

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.