New York, February 5, 2026, 19:59 EST — After-hours
Procter & Gamble Company shares gained roughly 1.1% to $158.61 in after-hours trading, following a day where the stock swung between $156.17 and $159.63. Consumer staples outperformed the overall market, with the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF dipping just 0.1%, compared to the S&P 500 ETF’s 1.2% decline.
The resilience showed up as investors sold off high-growth software stocks, shifting their funds into value-focused areas like consumer staples. This move came amid renewed debate about how quickly AI might squeeze software margins. “I’m not surprised it’s a rotation out of tech and into other sectors … value oriented sectors,” said Dave Harrison Smith, chief investment strategist at Bailard. (Reuters)
U.S. labor figures added to the cautious tone. Weekly jobless claims ticked up to 231,000, and job openings slipped to 6.542 million. A three-day government shutdown pushed back the January employment report, economists noted. “The job market remains resilient with layoff activity low, and a pace of hiring that is more judicious,” said Oren Klachkin of Nationwide. Samuel Tombs at Pantheon Macroeconomics observed there’s “no evidence in the economic data that AI is causing a major drop in hiring.” (Reuters)
P&G climbed 1.11% in the regular session, marking its sixth consecutive rise, even as the S&P 500 and Dow slipped 1.23% and 1.20%, respectively, per MarketWatch data. Johnson & Johnson advanced 1.42%, while Colgate-Palmolive added 0.54%. (MarketWatch)
A regulatory filing revealed that Ma. Fatima D. Francisco, CEO of P&G’s Baby, Feminine and Family Care division, sold 8,000 shares on Feb. 4 at $158 each. After the sale, she reported directly owning 6,571 shares, plus more held indirectly. (SEC)
Separately, P&G’s Gillette Venus announced a tie-up with U.S. Figure Skating in connection with the Milano Cortina Winter Games, boosting its marketing efforts around the event. (Procter & Gamble)
P&G last updated Wall Street on Jan. 22, reporting fiscal second-quarter net sales of $22.2 billion and core EPS of $1.88, a profit figure that excludes certain items. Organic sales — which remove the effects of currency fluctuations and acquisitions/divestitures — held steady, with a 1% price increase balancing out a 1% drop in volume. The company stuck to its full-year guidance. “Our results in the second quarter keep us on track to deliver within our fiscal year guidance ranges,” CEO Shailesh Jejurikar said. (Procter & Gamble)
That update also revealed pressure in crucial U.S. segments, with management noting shoppers are more selective and volumes falling behind. “We need to get the U.S. growing,” finance chief Andre Schulten said during the post-earnings call. (Reuters)
Should bond yields bounce back, it could challenge the defensive stance that’s kept dividend giants like P&G steady on risk-off days. A swift shift toward growth stocks would put staples back in the shadows.
Two key releases arrive back-to-back early next month: the January jobs report drops Feb. 11, followed by January’s CPI on Feb. 13, both at 8:30 a.m. ET. Then, on Feb. 18, the Fed will publish the minutes from its January 27-28 meeting. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
