The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) Receives Average Rating of “Reduce” from Analysts

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $143.33.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CLX shares. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Clorox from $122.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Argus upgraded shares of Clorox to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Clorox from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $153.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, September 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Clorox to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, September 6th.

Clorox Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:CLX opened at $163.42 on Tuesday. Clorox has a 12-month low of $114.68 and a 12-month high of $169.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 84.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 0.40. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $151.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $144.14.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.28. Clorox had a return on equity of 281.12% and a net margin of 3.95%. The firm had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.97 billion. On average, equities analysts expect that Clorox will post 6.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be issued a $1.22 dividend. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 252.85%.

Insider Transactions at Clorox

In related news, EVP Angela C. Hilt sold 1,733 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.52, for a total value of $286,846.16. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,471 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,229,719.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.51% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Clorox

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CLX. Anchor Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 10,447 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 457 shares during the last quarter. American Trust bought a new stake in Clorox during the second quarter worth about $273,000. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the second quarter worth approximately $283,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Clorox in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,964,000. Finally, Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL boosted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL now owns 8,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,174,000 after acquiring an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Clorox

The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment offers cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care products primarily under the Clorox, Clorox2, Scentiva, Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Tilex, and Formula 409 brands; professional cleaning and disinfecting products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals and supplement products under the RenewLife, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Rainbow Light brands in the United States.