Russell Investments Group Ltd. Has $5.45 Million Stock Position in The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its stake in shares of The Campbell Soup Company (NASDAQ:CPB) by 10.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 130,226 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,328 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Campbell Soup were worth $5,448,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sherman Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Campbell Soup by 45.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 927 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Campbell Soup during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Quent Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Campbell Soup by 77.7% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Campbell Soup in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 52.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on CPB shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Campbell Soup from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $48.00 to $37.00 in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Consumer Edge reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating on shares of Campbell Soup in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Campbell Soup in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Campbell Soup from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price objective on Campbell Soup from $46.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.86.

Campbell Soup Stock Performance

Shares of CPB opened at $38.88 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $11.59 billion, a PE ratio of 21.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.19. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $39.03 and a 200-day moving average of $41.96. The Campbell Soup Company has a one year low of $36.02 and a one year high of $52.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.50.

Campbell Soup (NASDAQ:CPB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.74 billion. Campbell Soup had a return on equity of 23.79% and a net margin of 5.57%. The business’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Campbell Soup Company will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Campbell Soup Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.01%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio is 90.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Campbell Soup news, EVP Charles A. Brawley III sold 2,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total value of $99,994.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,504,727.70. This represents a 6.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.19% of the company’s stock.

Campbell Soup Company Profile

Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Meals & Beverages and Snacks segments. The Meals & Beverages segment engages in the retail and foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.