As of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. has lowered its position in Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD) by 60.7% during the second quarter. The fund now owns 6,666 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,317 shares during the quarter. Based on this filing, Ferguson Wellman’s holdings in Church & Dwight are valued at $668,000.
Church & Dwight recently released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 28th. The company exceeded analysts’ consensus estimates by reporting earnings per share (EPS) of $0.92 for the quarter, surpassing the estimate of $0.79 by $0.13. Its revenue amounted to $1.45 billion, slightly higher than the expected $1.42 billion consensus estimate. In terms of profitability, Church & Dwight achieved a net margin of 7.93% and a return on equity of 21.12%. It observed a yearly increase in quarterly revenue by 9.7%, while last year during the same period it earned an EPS of $0.76.
According to group analysis from research analysts, it is anticipated that Church & Dwight Co., Inc will post an EPS of 3.17 for this fiscal year.
Following these developments in Church & Dwight’s financial performance and market presence, several equities analysts have provided their insight on the company’s outlook.
StockNews.com recently covered Church & Dwight with a “hold” rating for the company in one of their reports released on Thursday, August 17th.
Stifel Nicolaus also provided commentary on Church & Dwight by increasing their target price from $95 to $97 while maintaining a “hold” rating in a research note published on Monday, July 31st.
Meanwhile, Barclays raised their price target from $78 to $82 and assigned an “underweight” rating for shares of Church & Dwight in their research note on Tuesday, August 1st.
Another firm, Morgan Stanley, boosted their price objective from $106 to $114 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating on Monday, July 31st.
Lastly, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Church & Dwight shares from $91 to $94 and maintained a “sector perform” rating in a research report dated Monday, July 31st.
Overall, according to Bloomberg data, Church & Dwight currently holds an average rating of “Hold” with an average target price of $93.31 based on analyst opinions.
As of September 19th , this report provides recent information about Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s decreased position in Church & Dwight Co., Inc as well as details regarding the company’s quarterly earnings data and analyst ratings. Investors and market analysts can evaluate the implications of these developments on Church & Dwight’s future performance.
InterDigital, Inc.
IDCC
Strong Buy
Updated on: 29/09/2023
Very Healthy 
Large Investors Make Moves in Church & Dwight: What Lies Ahead?
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE: CHD), a leading consumer products company, has recently seen an influx of investment from several large investors who have either increased or reduced their stakes in the company. This comes as both a surprise and a curiosity to many industry observers.
One such investor, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC, raised its stake in Church & Dwight by a staggering 106,565.5% during the fourth quarter. The company now owns over 6 million shares of Church & Dwight stock, valued at $539.2 million. This acquisition shakes the market, leaving many wondering about Moneta Group’s motivations and long-term plans for its newfound majority ownership.
Geode Capital Management LLC also made moves with its position in Church & Dwight. Although their increase was not as substantial as Moneta Group’s, Geode Capital Management still raised its stake by 1.8% during the first quarter. The company now holds over 5 million shares of Church & Dwight stock worth $464.7 million. It remains to be seen what Geode Capital Management’s intentions are regarding this increased position.
Stifel Financial Corp made a modest lift of its own in Church & Dwight’s shares during the first quarter, increasing its holdings by 5.1%. With over 4 million shares now owned by Stifel Financial Corp, valued at $372.3 million, questions arise regarding their strategy and outlook for the company.
Neuberger Berman Group LLC also saw growth in its position in Church & Dwight last quarter, albeit at a smaller scale than others on this list – an increase of only 0.9%. Despite this relatively small change, Neuberger Berman Group now owns over 3 million shares worth approximately $272.3 million.
Lastly, Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Church & Dwight by an impressive 25.8% during the fourth quarter, adding over 645,000 shares to its portfolio. With a total of 3.1 million shares now owned by Morgan Stanley, valued at $253.8 million, the motive behind this investment surge raises eyebrows.
It is important to note that these institutional investors collectively own a substantial 82.79% of Church & Dwight’s stock, highlighting the magnitude of their influence on the company’s future trajectory.
In other news related to Church & Dwight, CEO Matthew Farrell recently sold 1,280 shares of the stock in a transaction worth approximately $124,249.60. This move has generated some interest and may prompt speculation regarding Farrell’s confidence in the company’s performance moving forward.
Additionally, CFO Richard A. Dierker sold 90,000 shares of Church & Dwight stock valued at $8.6 million. These insider sales have amounted to a significant total value of $24.8 million over the last quarter alone.
As we analyze this information within the context of Church & Dwight’s stock performance, it is essential to highlight that the company opened at $95.16 on September 19, 2023 – a significant valuation in relation to its historical prices.
With a market capitalization of $23.41 billion and a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio of 52.87, Church & Dwight certainly attracts attention from investors looking for potential growth opportunities in the consumer products sector.
Despite these recent developments and fluctuations in its stock price, Church & Dwight maintains healthy financial ratios such as a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61 and satisfactory liquidity indicators like the current ratio of 1.41 and quick ratio of 0.80.
Overall, it remains to be seen how these investments will impact Church & Dwight Co., Inc.’s future direction and growth prospects as uncertainty lingers among industry experts and avid observers alike.
Discussion about this post