Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Trims Holdings in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG - Free Report) by 41.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 148,035 shares of the company's stock after selling 106,443 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $24,818,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PG. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,617,704 shares of the company's stock worth $271,208,000 after buying an additional 140,194 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP grew its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 24,234 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,063,000 after acquiring an additional 2,720 shares during the period. Generation Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at about $692,000. Capital International Sarl raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 34.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 3,476 shares of the company's stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 896 shares during the period. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its position in Procter & Gamble by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 3,261,170 shares of the company's stock worth $546,492,000 after purchasing an additional 122,397 shares in the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 35,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.68, for a total transaction of $6,078,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 22,051 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,829,817.68. This trade represents a 61.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Procter & Gamble Trading Down 4.7 %

Shares of NYSE PG traded down $7.80 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $157.93. 9,322,469 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,054,015. The firm has a market capitalization of $370.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.14, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.43. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52-week low of $156.61 and a 52-week high of $180.43. The company's 50-day moving average is $168.31 and its 200-day moving average is $168.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.76.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.03). Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 18.35%. The company had revenue of $19.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. Analysts expect that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.0568 per share. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.68%. This is a boost from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is presently 67.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PG. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Procter & Gamble from $173.00 to $172.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $164.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Tuesday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $181.50.

Procter & Gamble 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.