Groupama Asset Managment Lowers Stock Position in The Clorox Company $CLX

Groupama Asset Managment cut its stake in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 76.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,096 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,247 shares during the quarter. Groupama Asset Managment’s holdings in Clorox were worth $505,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Clorox by 4.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,380 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,970,000 after purchasing an additional 514 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in shares of Clorox by 253.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 10,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,465 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Clorox during the 2nd quarter valued at $202,000. Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of Clorox by 15.8% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 33,177 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,984,000 after buying an additional 4,533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Clorox by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,845,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,902,569,000 after buying an additional 272,420 shares during the period. 78.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on CLX shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Clorox from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Evercore lowered their price objective on Clorox from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Clorox from $110.00 to $94.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Clorox from $114.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Clorox from $152.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $118.73.

Clorox Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of CLX stock opened at $106.24 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $116.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $112.99. The Clorox Company has a 52 week low of $96.66 and a 52 week high of $150.84. The stock has a market cap of $12.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.36, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.64 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 383.01%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.55 EPS. Analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.05%.

Clorox Company Profile

The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products designed to help people care for their homes and live healthy, sustainable lives. Its portfolio spans cleaning and household products, food and beverages, water filtration systems and cat litter, serving both retail and institutional customers. The company’s flagship bleach and disinfecting products are well known in the United States and many international markets, where they help prevent the spread of germs in homes, hospitals, schools and businesses.

Clorox’s diverse brand lineup includes liquid bleach and surface cleaners, eco-friendly cleaning tools, food preservation and preparation items, charcoal grills and briquettes, specialty foods and beverages, pet care products and personal care lines.