Sterling Investment Counsel LLC Sells 2,070 Shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

Sterling Investment Counsel LLC decreased its holdings in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) by 54.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,704 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,070 shares during the period. Sterling Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $286,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in PG. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 3.0% during the second quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 38,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,338,000 after buying an additional 1,125 shares during the last quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 2.7% in the second quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 26,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,351,000 after purchasing an additional 698 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the second quarter valued at $1,782,000. Centennial Bank AR boosted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 4.6% in the second quarter. Centennial Bank AR now owns 2,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the second quarter valued at $2,003,000. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.1 %

PG stock opened at $166.34 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $168.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $169.41. The company has a market cap of $391.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.49, a PEG ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $153.52 and a 12 month high of $180.43.

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

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.0065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 24th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.42%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.17%.

Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble

In related news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 90,450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.84, for a total transaction of $14,819,328.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 172,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,313,845.76. This trade represents a 34.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 12,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.73, for a total transaction of $2,210,944.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,002,804.35. The trade was a 52.47 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 151,097 shares of company stock worth $25,635,076 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on PG shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Procter & Gamble to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $174.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $180.53.

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.