Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB – Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,180,000 shares, a growth of 16.6% from the March 15th total of 14,740,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,790,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.2 days. Approximately 8.7% of the shares of the company are sold short.
Campbell Soup Stock Down 2.1 %
Shares of NYSE CPB traded down $0.90 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $42.31. 1,646,638 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,563,249. Campbell Soup has a one year low of $37.94 and a one year high of $55.52. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $42.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $42.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 1.01. The company has a market cap of $12.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.24.
Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 6th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.03. Campbell Soup had a net margin of 8.26% and a return on equity of 23.18%. The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.44 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.80 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Campbell Soup will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.
Campbell Soup Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 4th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 3rd. Campbell Soup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 57.81%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several brokerages have recently commented on CPB. TheStreet upgraded Campbell Soup from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Campbell Soup from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 1st. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $47.00 price target on shares of Campbell Soup in a report on Thursday, March 14th. Evercore ISI began coverage on Campbell Soup in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. They set an “in-line” rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. Finally, DA Davidson began coverage on Campbell Soup in a report on Friday, March 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.38.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CPB. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 149.8% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its position in shares of Campbell Soup by 165.7% during the fourth quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 651 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 406 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Campbell Soup during the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of Campbell Soup during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, ING Groep NV bought a new position in shares of Campbell Soup during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. 52.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
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.