Aquatic Capital Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its position in The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB - Free Report) by 184.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 314,922 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 204,122 shares during the period. Aquatic Capital Management LLC owned about 0.11% of Campbell's worth $13,189,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CPB. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Campbell's in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Campbell's by 45.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Campbell's during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Campbell's by 77.7% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Campbell's in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. 52.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Campbell's

In other news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total transaction of $99,994.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 37,590 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 20.19% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Consumer Edge reissued an "equal weight" rating on shares of Campbell's in a report on Monday, March 17th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Campbell's in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Campbell's from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Campbell's to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Campbell's from $45.00 to $41.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $44.27.

Campbell's Stock Performance

Shares of Campbell's stock opened at $36.29 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.82 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The Campbell's Company has a 52 week low of $35.85 and a 52 week high of $52.81. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $38.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.39.

Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Campbell's had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 23.79%. The company had revenue of $2.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.74 billion. The business's revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that The Campbell's Company 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, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell's's payout ratio is 90.17%.

About Campbell's

The Campbell's Company, formerly known as 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.

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