Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Price Target Lowered to $139.00 at Jefferies Financial Group

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) had its price objective trimmed by Jefferies Financial Group from $151.00 to $139.00 in a research note published on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on CLX. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Clorox from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of Clorox from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $99.00 price target (down from $117.00) on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Clorox from $132.00 to $127.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Clorox from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $113.07.

Clorox Price Performance

Shares of Clorox stock opened at $99.70 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $12.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $112.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $109.79. Clorox has a one year low of $96.66 and a one year high of $143.96.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.43 by ($0.04). The company 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 business’s quarterly revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.55 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Clorox will post 5.89 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

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 issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.05%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Clorox

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Haverford Trust Co lifted its stake in Clorox by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $310,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Field & Main Bank raised its holdings in shares of Clorox by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Clorox by 28.2% in the 4th quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 454 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Clorox by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 6,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $746,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Clorox by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,333 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

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.