Campbell’s Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:CPB)

The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors bought 17,322 put options on the company. This is an increase of 137% compared to the average volume of 7,318 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CPB. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Campbell’s from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Barclays cut their price target on Campbell’s from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America reduced their price target on Campbell’s from $26.00 to $23.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 price objective on shares of Campbell’s in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Campbell’s from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $28.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and seven have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $27.65.

Campbell’s Stock Performance

Shares of CPB stock traded down $0.37 during trading on Monday, reaching $21.35. The company had a trading volume of 7,376,812 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,125,119. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $26.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.34. Campbell’s has a one year low of $21.19 and a one year high of $40.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The company has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a PE ratio of 11.67, a PEG ratio of 8.43 and a beta of -0.02.

Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). Campbell’s had a net margin of 5.48% and a return on equity of 19.96%. The company had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.74 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Campbell’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Campbell’s will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Campbell’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. Campbell’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 85.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Campbell’s news, EVP Anthony Sanzio sold 2,700 shares of Campbell’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.51, for a total transaction of $71,577.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $669,748.64. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 11,550 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.14, for a total transaction of $325,017.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,777 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,231,884.78. This represents a 20.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 19.78% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Campbell’s

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stance Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Campbell’s in the third quarter worth about $27,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Campbell’s by 66.8% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 961 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in Campbell’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sittner & Nelson LLC bought a new position in Campbell’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Campbell’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. 52.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Campbell’s

Campbell’s (NASDAQ: CPB) is a leading manufacturer of shelf-stable foods and beverages, best known for its iconic soups and broths. Headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, the company offers a diverse portfolio of products designed to meet consumer demand for convenient, affordable meals and snacks. Since its founding in 1869, Campbell’s has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions to expand its presence in the food industry.

The company’s brand portfolio includes Campbell’s Condensed Soups, V8 juices, Prego pasta sauces, Swanson broths and stocks, Pace salsas and dips, and Pepperidge Farm baked snacks.