Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Sees Strong Trading Volume After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. Approximately 2,230,964 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 67% from the previous session’s volume of 6,802,599 shares.The stock last traded at $154.47 and had previously closed at $157.29.

The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $20.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.43 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 17.60% and a return on equity of 34.04%. Procter & Gamble’s revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.37 earnings per share.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.0065 per share. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.59%. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.94. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.98%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $168.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $169.00 to $162.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $168.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO R. Alexandra Keith sold 776 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.11, for a total value of $122,693.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 4,859 shares in the company, valued at $768,256.49. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO R. Alexandra Keith sold 776 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.11, for a total value of $122,693.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 4,859 shares in the company, valued at $768,256.49. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ma. Fatima Francisco sold 74,443 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.30, for a total value of $11,412,111.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $149,160.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 279,063 shares of company stock worth $43,187,745. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Wyrmwood Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 65.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $366.18 billion, a PE ratio of 26.33, a PEG ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.44. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $159.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $152.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.64.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.