The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) Given Average Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) has been given a consensus rating of “Reduce” by the sixteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $118.7333.

CLX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Clorox from $110.00 to $94.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Clorox from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Clorox from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Clorox from $108.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Evercore dropped their price objective on shares of Clorox from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th.

Clorox Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE CLX opened at $101.92 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $115.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.32 billion, a PE ratio of 16.65, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.59. Clorox has a fifty-two week low of $96.66 and a fifty-two week high of $150.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.48.

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

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.05%.

Institutional Trading of Clorox

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Clorox in the second quarter worth $8,568,000. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in Clorox by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,297,016 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,922,000 after purchasing an additional 136,135 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its holdings in Clorox by 64.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 25,732 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,173,000 after buying an additional 10,065 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Clorox by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 928,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,506,000 after buying an additional 197,330 shares during the period. Finally, Brookstone Capital Management grew its position in shares of Clorox by 1,395.4% in the 3rd quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 94,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,631,000 after buying an additional 88,024 shares during the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.