Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 1.7% After Analyst Downgrade

Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) was down 1.7% on Monday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $165.00 to $162.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Procter & Gamble traded as low as $143.59 and last traded at $144.3590. Approximately 8,028,764 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 27% from the average daily volume of 11,072,257 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.93.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on PG. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $164.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $167.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $146.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $150.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $167.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Gary A. Coombe sold 36,093 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.33, for a total transaction of $5,858,976.69. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 34,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,680,576.02. The trade was a 50.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 95,903 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.15, for a total transaction of $14,495,738.45. Following the transaction, the insider owned 182,607 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,601,048.05. This represents a 34.43% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 348,618 shares of company stock valued at $55,462,643. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Procter & Gamble News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile bullish commentary from Jim Cramer highlighted PG as “as cheap as I’ve seen it in years,” a narrative that can attract retail buyers and value/deep‑value funds looking for a turnaround and dividend yield support. Jim Cramer on Procter & Gamble: “It’s as Cheap as I’ve Seen It in Years”
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple dividend‑income features name PG among reliable dividend aristocrats/giants, reinforcing investor demand from income-focused portfolios and retirees who prioritize yield and payout consistency. (This can provide downside support even if growth slows.) Want $580 in Passive Income? Invest $5,000 Into These 3 Dividend Aristocrats
• Neutral Sentiment: Fool pieces and other retail‑oriented writeups reiterate that PG is a well‑run, defensive consumer staples name and a candidate for long‑term dividend investors; these stories sustain longer‑term interest but don’t change near‑term fundamentals. Should You Buy Procter & Gamble Stock Before April 24?
• Neutral Sentiment: Barron’s company page and general coverage provide reference data and corporate background but add limited new catalyst information for near‑term trading. Procter & Gamble Co. (Barron’s)
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan reduced its price target to $162, an analyst action that can trigger institutional re‑rating and selling pressure from quant/benchmark managers tracking target-driven models. That downgrade is the most direct, near‑term bearish catalyst. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Procter & Gamble Price Target to $162.00
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks flags that while PG uses pricing power, supply‑chain digitization and cost discipline to protect margins, near‑term EPS growth may face pressure — a caution that can weigh on growth‑oriented funds and exacerbates sensitivity to any guidance weakness. Procter & Gamble’s EPS Growth Story: Sustainable or Slowing Ahead?

Institutional Trading of Procter & Gamble

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PG. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter worth $4,664,783,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1,104.8% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 9,521,440 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,364,518,000 after purchasing an additional 8,731,126 shares in the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 14,231.0% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,549,645 shares of the company’s stock worth $508,700,000 after purchasing an additional 3,524,876 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 237,459,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,030,358,000 after purchasing an additional 2,829,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 100.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 5,460,939 shares of the company’s stock worth $782,607,000 after purchasing an additional 2,741,924 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.

Procter & Gamble Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $151.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $148.90. The firm has a market cap of $335.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 32.21%. The firm had revenue of $22.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.36 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.88 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.96 EPS for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a $1.0885 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. This is a boost from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Procter & Gamble’s payout ratio is currently 62.67%.

About Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world’s largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G’s product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.