Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 36,177 Shares of Columbia Sportswear (NASDAQ:COLM)

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in Columbia Sportswear (NASDAQ:COLM - Free Report) by 32.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 76,014 shares of the textile maker's stock after selling 36,177 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.13% of Columbia Sportswear worth $6,324,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COLM. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Columbia Sportswear by 116.6% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 418 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Columbia Sportswear by 51.3% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 419 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in Columbia Sportswear in the 3rd quarter valued at $65,000. Dnca Finance bought a new stake in Columbia Sportswear in the second quarter valued at $68,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in Columbia Sportswear during the third quarter worth $75,000. 47.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Columbia Sportswear Price Performance

COLM stock traded up $1.36 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $81.46. 90,325 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 462,500. The company has a market cap of $4.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.13, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.92. The firm's 50-day moving average is $81.43 and its 200-day moving average is $81.24. Columbia Sportswear has a 12 month low of $73.04 and a 12 month high of $87.23.

Columbia Sportswear (NASDAQ:COLM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The textile maker reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.20. Columbia Sportswear had a return on equity of 12.48% and a net margin of 6.42%. The firm had revenue of $931.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $937.17 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.70 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Columbia Sportswear will post 3.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Columbia Sportswear Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.47%. Columbia Sportswear's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Columbia Sportswear from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $77.00.

Columbia Sportswear Company Profile

Columbia Sportswear Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, markets, and distributes outdoor, active, and everyday lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment in the United States, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Canada. The company provides apparel, accessories, and equipment for hiking, trail running, snow, fishing, hunting, mountaineering, climbing, skiing and snowboarding, trail, and outdoor activities.