Cincinnati, May 17, 2026, 10:04 EDT
- P&G has raised its dividend for 70 years running, a streak drawing new notice after the recent drop in the stock.
- MarketBeat said 20 analysts give the stock a “Moderate Buy” consensus. The average 12-month target is about $161.
- Sales rose in the company’s latest quarter, but tariffs, oil-related costs and price fatigue are still the main risks.
Procter & Gamble’s long history of dividend payments drew attention again Sunday, after MarketBeat reported the company holds a “Moderate Buy” from Wall Street. Shares remain well under their 52-week high, with analysts noting cost pressures could weigh on results over the next year. MarketBeat
P&G is under the spotlight for both its shareholder payouts and how well it holds the line on margins as shoppers stay cautious. Shares closed at $141.57 on Friday, putting the Cincinnati-based group at a $329.7 billion market cap.
P&G put out numbers last month that gave investors something to go on. The company said fiscal third-quarter net sales hit $21.2 billion, up 7% from a year ago. Organic sales rose 3%. Core earnings per share, which strips out some items, came in at $1.59, also a 3% gain.
P&G CEO Shailesh Jejurikar said the quarter showed a “solid acceleration in top-line results,” with the company putting more investment behind consumers as the geopolitical and economic backdrop got tougher. P&G left its fiscal 2026 sales and earnings guidance ranges unchanged. PG Investor
P&G’s board approved an increase to its quarterly dividend, bumping it up 3% to $1.0885 a share. The dividend is payable on or after May 15 to shareholders on record as of April 24. The company said it’s paid a dividend for 136 years in a row and has now raised it for 70 consecutive years.
MarketBeat says analysts are split on the stock, with 11 out of 20 rating it a buy and nine calling it a hold. Their average price target for the next year is $161.0588. Some recent moves: JPMorgan took its target down to $162 but kept an overweight call, Goldman Sachs cut to $155 and stayed neutral, and Raymond James dropped its target to $170 but kept the outperform.
Growth was mixed but still wide enough to count. Tissue Online North America said Beauty saw 7% organic growth, with gains in Hair Care, Personal Care and Skin Care. Fabric and Home Care and Baby, Feminine and Family Care each added 3% organic growth. Grooming picked up 1% as price increases made up for weaker volume.
P&G’s size is a big part of its edge. James Brumley at Motley Fool pointed out the company put $9.2 billion into advertising last fiscal year. Colgate-Palmolive spent $2.7 billion, and Clorox came in at about $800 million. The extra firepower lets P&G push brands like Tide, Gillette, Crest, Pampers and Bounty harder.
P&G is facing some big risks. Reuters said the company warned that higher oil prices could cut about $1 billion from its post-tax profit in fiscal 2027. P&G also pointed to $150 million in commodity-related costs for the fourth quarter, plus around $400 million in tariff costs expected for fiscal 2026. CFO Andre Schulten called the commodity exposure “significant.” Brian Jacobsen at Annex Wealth Management said high oil prices “seep into everything.” Reuters
There’s a demand angle too. Brian Mulberry, chief marketing strategist at Zacks Investment Management, told Reuters that P&G can’t keep lifting prices “at this pace indefinitely.” That could hurt the dividend-stock pitch if volume slows. Reuters
P&G is trading more like a defensive play than a growth story, as investors focus on costs. The big question is if the company can keep volumes up, pay for new product rollouts, manage tariffs, and keep the dividend streak alive — the same track record that helped bring buyers back to the stock.
