Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 0.3% on Insider Selling

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) shares were down 0.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $168.17 and last traded at $169.07. Approximately 1,069,970 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 86% from the average daily volume of 7,489,991 shares. The stock had previously closed at $169.66.

Specifically, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 172,814 shares of the company's stock, valued at $28,313,845.76. This trade represents a 34.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on PG shares. DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and set a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Procter & Gamble from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $164.00 price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $180.53.

Procter & Gamble Trading Down 1.9 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company's fifty day moving average price is $168.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $169.42. The firm has a market cap of $390.07 billion, a PE ratio of 26.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.45.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $21.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.66 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.88% and a net margin of 18.35%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th will be paid a $1.0065 dividend. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 24th. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is currently 64.01%.

Institutional Trading of Procter & Gamble

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 972.0% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 268 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Costello Asset Management INC lifted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2,142.9% in the 3rd quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 314 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the second quarter valued at approximately $58,000. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Procter & Gamble Company 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.