Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 5.3% After Earnings Miss

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG - Get Free Report) was down 5.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $157.01 and last traded at $156.95. Approximately 5,753,650 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 18% from the average daily volume of 7,042,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $165.73.

The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be given a $1.0568 dividend. This represents a $4.23 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.62%. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble's previous quarterly dividend of $1.01. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 21st. Procter & Gamble's payout ratio is presently 66.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $180.00 price target on Procter & Gamble and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $185.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $177.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, February 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $180.79.

Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble

In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 35,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 22,051 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,829,817.68. This represents a 61.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 933.3% in the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 155 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Navigoe LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Hoey Investments Inc. lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 321.7% during the fourth quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 194 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $168.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $168.32. The company has a market capitalization of $377.61 billion, a PE ratio of 25.64, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

About Procter & Gamble

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.