Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Raised to Hold at Evercore

Key Points

• Evercore upgraded Clorox from “underperform” to “hold” and set a $99 price target, implying approximately 9.95% upside. Overall, analysts remain cautious, with a consensus “Reduce” rating and $93.29 target price.
• Clorox reported a strong quarter, with earnings of $1.55 per share versus the $1.07 estimate and revenue of $1.91 billion, up 33.3% year over year and above expectations.
• Despite the earnings beat, management expects full-year adjusted EPS toward the low end of its $5.70–$6.00 range, citing inflation, higher costs, and challenging comparisons that could constrain margins.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Evercore from an "underperform" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has a $99.00 target price on the stock. Evercore's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 9.95% from the stock's current price.

CLX has been the topic of several other reports. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on Clorox from $97.00 to $95.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a $95.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a report on Monday, October 19th. UBS Group set a $91.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Clorox from $97.00 to $87.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Clorox from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $93.29.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of CLX opened at $90.04 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $88.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $99.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.89 billion, a PE ratio of 18.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.59. Clorox has a one year low of $79.12 and a one year high of $128.90.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.48. Clorox had a return on equity of 522.23% and a net margin of 8.74%. The firm had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.85 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 33.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Clorox will post 5.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Clorox during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $958,640,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Clorox during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $179,780,000. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 6.3% in the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,737,891 shares of the company's stock valued at $140,787,000 after purchasing an additional 102,732 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 20.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,418,204 shares of the company's stock valued at $146,969,000 after purchasing an additional 237,301 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Clorox in the second quarter valued at $123,154,000. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Clorox

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clorox reported adjusted earnings of $1.55 per share, well above the $1.07 analyst consensus and up from $0.85 a year earlier. Revenue rose 33.3% year over year to $1.91 billion, exceeding estimates of $1.88 billion. Clorox Reports Q1 Fiscal Year 2027 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The earnings beat and better-than-expected sales are supporting investor sentiment, with management highlighting broad business momentum and improved profitability. Clorox Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI upgraded Clorox from “underperform” to “in-line” and set a $99 price target, citing the incoming CEO’s turnaround experience as a potential catalyst for the earnings recovery. Evercore ISI Upgrades Clorox
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call emphasized recovery efforts and operating priorities under the new CEO, but investors are likely to wait for evidence that the turnaround can produce sustainable growth. Clorox Q1 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Clorox now expects full-year adjusted EPS toward the lower end of its previously issued $5.70–$6.00 range, tempering the impact of the quarterly beat. Clorox Posts Higher Revenue and Profit
• Negative Sentiment: Management cited inflation, higher input and other operating costs, and difficult comparisons created by prior-period distortions. These pressures could limit margin expansion despite strong reported sales and earnings. Clorox Guidance and Inflation Analysis

Clorox Company Profile

The Clorox Company, founded in 1913 and headquartered in Oakland, California, is a consumer and professional products company. It began with household bleach and has expanded into a portfolio of brands serving cleaning, household, personal care, food, and professional markets.

Its brands include Clorox disinfecting and cleaning products, Pine-Sol cleaners, Liquid-Plumr drain care, Kingsford charcoal, Fresh Step and Scoop Away cat litter, Hidden Valley dressings and dips, Brita water filtration products, and Burt's Bees personal care items.