Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo & Company Analyst Says

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $176.00 to $180.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 9.48% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Barclays boosted 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 report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $186.00 to $181.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $164.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Monday, October 21st. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $209.00 price target on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Hsbc Global Res raised Procter & Gamble to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $180.53.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

Shares of PG stock opened at $164.41 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $387.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.18, a PEG ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Procter & Gamble has a fifty-two week low of $152.06 and a fifty-two week high of $180.43. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $168.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.36.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 18.35% and a return on equity of 32.88%. The firm had revenue of $21.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21,657,595.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Procter & Gamble will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 12,800 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.73, for a total value of $2,210,944.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 11,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,804.35. This trade represents a 52.47 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 47,847 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.84, for a total transaction of $8,604,804.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 39,977 shares in the company, valued at $7,189,463.68. This trade represents a 54.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the fourth quarter worth $46,000. Costello Asset Management INC boosted its position in Procter & Gamble by 2,142.9% in the third quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 314 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Procter & Gamble in the 2nd quarter valued at $58,000. Finally, Mendota Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

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.