I gave a hold rating to Church & Dwight Co. ( CHD ) before because of the high valuation multiple it was trading at, despite facing challenges in accelerating growth. Fast forward to today, while execution internationally hasI'm a passionate investor with a strong foundation in fundamental analysis and a keen eye for identifying undervalued companies with long-term growth potential. My investment approach is a blend of value investing principles and a focus on long-term growth. I believe in buying quality c ...

Image source: The Motley Fool.Friday, January 30, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ETCALL PARTICIPANTSChief Executive Officer — Richard DierkerChief Financial Officer — Lee McChesneyPresident, U.S. Consumer — Charles RaupFounder and CEO, Touchland — Andrea LisbonaChief Innovation Officer — Carlos LinaresChief Digital Growth Officer — Surabhi PokhriyalPresident, International and Specialty Products Division — Michael ReadChief Technology and Analytics Officer — Ray BajajTAKEAWAYSTotal Sales -- $6.2 billion, with 3.9% grow ...

Core Viewpoint - The article summarizes key analyst rating adjustments that are closely watched by Wall Street and can influence market trends, highlighting significant upgrades, downgrades, and new coverage ratings for various companies [1][5]. Upgraded Ratings - Aritet Investment upgraded Shopify (SHOP) from Neutral to Buy, raising the target price from $166 to $175, citing attractive valuation after recent weakness [6]. - William Blair upgraded Palantir (PLTR) from Market Perform to Outperform ahead of its earnings report, emphasizing valuation advantages as the core reason for the upgrade [6]. - BTIG raised McDonald's (MCD) rating from Neutral to Buy with a target price of $360, noting that research on franchisees indicates effective promotional strategies are driving customer traffic growth [6]. - JPMorgan upgraded Autodesk (ADSK) from Neutral to Overweight, maintaining a target price of $319, due to differentiated fundamentals in the vertical software as a service sector [6]. - JPMorgan raised Church & Dwight (CHD) from Underweight to Neutral, increasing the target price from $92 to $100, believing that business adjustments will lead to better sales growth [6]. Downgraded Ratings - JPMorgan downgraded Best Buy (BBY) from Overweight to Neutral, significantly lowering the target price from $99 to $76, anticipating an "unfavorable" earnings report for Q4 [6]. - Leith Wheeler downgraded BioNTech (BNTX) from Outperform to Market Perform, slightly raising the target price from $112 to $113, while expressing long-term optimism about the company's differentiated R&D potential [6]. - Canadian Imperial Bank downgraded Fortinet (FTNT) from Outperform to Sector Perform, maintaining a target price of $85, expressing caution about the stock's performance in 2026 [6]. - HSBC downgraded Chevron (CVX) from Buy to Hold, raising the target price from $169 to $180, citing valuation factors as the main reason for the downgrade [6]. - Morgan Stanley downgraded Humana (HUM) from Equal Weight to Underweight, significantly lowering the target price from $262 to $174, citing risks related to bidding strategies and policies affecting profit margin recovery [6]. New Coverage Ratings - Jefferies initiated coverage on Micron Technology (MU) with a Buy rating and a target price of $500, believing that the company's fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) will capture market share post Q2 [6]. - Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Circle Network (CRCL) with an Equal Weight rating and a target price of $66, indicating that higher valuations are unlikely until stablecoin technology becomes more widely adopted [6]. - Citizens Bank initiated coverage on Stewart Information (STC) with an Outperform rating and a target price of $80, citing significant attractiveness at current valuation levels [6]. - Wells Fargo initiated coverage on Praxis Precision Medicines (PRAX) with an Equal Weight rating and a target price of $282, noting uncertainty regarding the approval prospects of the drug ulixacaltamide [6]. - Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Simon Group (THR) with a Buy rating and a target price of $60, highlighting the company's improved business conditions and diversification benefiting from data center cooling technology trends [6].

The most talked about and market moving research calls around Wall Street are now in one place. Here are today's research calls that investors need to know, as compiled by The Fly.Top 5 Upgrades: JPMorgan upgraded Church & Dwight (CHD) to Neutral from Underweight with a price target of $100, up from $92. JPMorgan believes Church & Dwight's reshaped portfolio will yield better sales growth.JPMorgan upgraded Autodesk (ADSK) to Overweight from Neutral with an unchanged price target of $319. The firm adjusted ...

We recently published 10 Big Names Ending January With Explosive Gains.  Church & Dwight Co. Inc. (NYSE:CHD) was one of the top performers on Friday. Church & Dwight grew its share prices by 4.67 percent on Friday to close at $96.25 apiece as investors took heart from strong earnings last year, an upbeat outlook, and a higher dividend payout to its investors. In an updated report, Church & Dwight Co. Inc. (NYSE:CHD) said that it was able to grow its net income by 26 percent to $736.8 million in full-year ...

Core Viewpoint - The company expresses optimism about its future, highlighting strong momentum as it concludes the year and looks ahead to 2026 [1]. Presentation Overview - The presentation consists of 170 slides, indicating a comprehensive overview of the company's performance and future outlook [1]. - The management team will participate in the presentation, suggesting a collaborative approach to sharing insights [2].

Executives said the reshaping reduced weighted-average private-label exposure to about 5% from roughly 12%, noting that vitamins had been “an extremely large private label business.” The company also pointed to a balance sheet leverage level of about 1.5x as supporting its ability to pursue additional acquisitions.Management said the company grew faster than its categories across all three divisions in 2025, calling that outcome notable in what it described as a “tough and rugged” year. Executives highlight ...

Core Viewpoint - Church & Dwight reported strong fourth-quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations, leading to a 4% increase in share price intraday [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share were $0.86, exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.84 [1] - Revenue reached $1.64 billion, aligning with expectations and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 3.9% [1] - Organic sales grew by 0.7%, improving to 1.8% when excluding the divested vitamin business [1] Margin and Cost Management - Adjusted gross margin expanded by 90 basis points to 45.5%, outperforming expectations [2] - Margin improvement was attributed to productivity initiatives, higher volumes, and a favorable product mix, which countered inflationary and tariff-related pressures [2] Strategic Decisions - The company completed the sale of its vitamin brands VITAFUSION and L'IL CRITTERS, incurring a one-time after-tax charge of $45.6 million [3] - The board approved a 4.2% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.3075 per share, marking the 30th consecutive year of dividend growth [3] Future Outlook - For 2026, the company forecasts organic sales growth of 3% to 4% and adjusted EPS growth of 5% to 8% [4] - For the first quarter of 2026, organic sales growth is projected at approximately 3%, with adjusted EPS expected to be $0.92, slightly higher than the previous year [4]

Church & Dwight (NYSE:CHD) 2026 Earnings Call Summary Company Overview - Church & Dwight is a $6.2 billion company with 77% of sales from domestic markets, 18% from international, and 5% from specialty products division (SPD) [5][6] - The company has a balanced portfolio, with 75% of sales and profits coming from seven key brands [5][6] Financial Performance - In Q4 2025, total sales grew by 3.9%, exceeding expectations, with organic growth at 0.7% [17][20] - Excluding the vitamins and minerals supplement (VMS) business, organic sales growth was 1.8% [18][20] - Gross margin improved by 90 basis points year-over-year, leading to an EPS of $0.86, a 12% increase from the previous year [18][20] - For the full year 2025, total sales were $1.6 billion, with organic growth adjusted to 2% after excluding VMS [20][21] - Cash flow for the year was strong at $1.2 billion, allowing for shareholder returns of $900 million [21][23] Strategic Initiatives - The company is focused on three growth pillars: growing core brands, expanding into new categories, and enhancing international presence [8][9][16] - The Evergreen Model is central to the company's strategy, aiming for 3%-4% organic growth in 2026, with reported sales expected to decline slightly due to business exits [24][27] - Gross margin is projected to improve by 100 basis points in 2026, with continued investment in marketing at 11% of sales [24][30] Brand Performance and Growth Strategies - **Arm & Hammer**: Targeting growth from $2 billion to $3 billion, leveraging its strong market position in laundry and cat litter [8][39] - Achieved a record share of 14.5% in laundry detergent, with a focus on value offerings [40][41] - Plans to expand in lightweight cat litter, where it currently holds an 8.5% share [41] - **TheraBreath**: Aiming to become the number one mouthwash brand, currently holding a 22% market share [47] - Plans to launch a new toothpaste product, tapping into a $4 billion category [48] - **Hero**: The acne brand grew at three times the category rate, with a focus on expanding its product line [54][56] - **Batiste**: Despite a decline in 2025, the brand remains a leader and will focus on innovation and revitalization efforts [57][59] Acquisitions and Portfolio Management - The acquisition of Touchland has been a significant driver of growth, with plans to expand its product offerings [23][63] - The company has divested from lower-performing brands, such as Spinbrush and vitamins, to focus on higher-margin products [3][22] Market Challenges and Consumer Sentiment - The overall market has seen deceleration, with consumer confidence at five-year lows, impacting category growth [7][8] - The company is adapting to these challenges by focusing on internal growth strategies and maintaining a strong balance sheet [3][22] Conclusion - Church & Dwight is optimistic about its future, with a strong focus on innovation, brand strength, and strategic acquisitions to drive growth in 2026 and beyond [39][37]

Key Takeaways CHD Q4 EPS rose 11.7% year over year to 86 cents, surpassing the consensus estimate.Net sales grew 3.9% to $1.64 billion, while organic sales increased 0.7%.Adjusted gross margin improved 90 bps to 45.5%, driven by mix and productivity.Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) reported fourth-quarter 2025 results, wherein both the top and bottom lines increased year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Despite a mixed consumer and economic backdrop, the company delivered another year of stro ...