MML Investors Services LLC Acquires 44,954 Shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL)

MML Investors Services LLC grew its stake in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 117.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 83,184 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 44,954 shares during the quarter. MML Investors Services LLC's holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $8,635,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CL. Continuum Advisory LLC raised its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 46.5% during the second quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 394 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive during the third quarter worth $42,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the third quarter valued at $53,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive in the third quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 150.4% in the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 666 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.41% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and upped their price target for the company from $107.00 to $109.00 in a research note on Monday, September 9th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $119.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $121.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $105.11.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $93.56. 3,394,981 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,377,945. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $95.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $98.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.58, a P/E/G ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.43. Colgate-Palmolive has a one year low of $75.50 and a one year high of $109.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.46.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.14%. Colgate-Palmolive's dividend payout ratio is presently 57.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Stanley J. Sutula III sold 45,410 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.11, for a total transaction of $4,273,535.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 36,726 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,456,283.86. This represents a 55.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.37% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Colgate-Palmolive Profile

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.