Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Given New $97.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Key Points

• Citigroup cut its price target on Clorox from $110 to $97 and kept a "neutral" rating, with multiple firms trimming targets and a MarketBeat consensus target around $104.93 and an overall "Reduce" rating.
• Shares plunged on heavy volume — the stock traded as low as $87.08 with ~13.2M shares changing hands (vs. avg ~2.4M), signaling selling pressure after analyst downgrades and a weaker outlook.
• Mixed fundamentals: Q3 EPS beat at $1.64 driven by cost savings, but revenue was flat and Clorox narrowed FY26 guidance to $5.45–$5.65, highlighting reliance on cost cuts and M&A for growth.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by equities researchers at Citigroup from $110.00 to $97.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. Citigroup's price target suggests a potential upside of 11.39% from the stock's current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "sell" rating and issued a $83.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday. Barclays set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Clorox from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore restated an "underperform" rating and issued a $110.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Clorox from $99.00 to $95.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $104.93.

Clorox Price Performance

Clorox stock traded down $9.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $87.08. 13,230,407 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,428,722. The stock has a market cap of $10.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 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. Clorox has a one year low of $86.00 and a one year high of $140.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $108.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.82.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 383.01%. The business's quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.45 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Clorox will post 5.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 6.8% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,433 shares of the company's stock worth $667,000 after buying an additional 411 shares during the period. KLCM Advisors Inc. increased its position in Clorox by 43.4% during the 1st quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. now owns 18,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,889,000 after purchasing an additional 5,515 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS increased its position in Clorox by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 199,915 shares of the company's stock valued at $20,717,000 after purchasing an additional 4,102 shares during the period. Main Street Research LLC increased its position in Clorox by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Main Street Research LLC now owns 9,537 shares of the company's stock valued at $988,000 after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Clorox by 15.4% during the 1st quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 31,820 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,297,000 after purchasing an additional 4,252 shares during the period. 78.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Clorox

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 EPS beat driven by cost savings — Clorox reported higher-than-expected non-GAAP EPS as lower spending and margin actions offset flat sales, showing near-term profitability improvement. CLX Q3 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management emphasizes strategic initiatives — management highlighted innovation and targeted M&A as levers to drive growth beyond cost actions, which could support medium‑term recovery if execution succeeds. Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Top-line is weak/flat — revenue was essentially flat year-over-year and roughly in line with estimates, leaving limited organic growth visibility and increasing reliance on cost saves and M&A. Q3 Results & Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year outlook trimmed — Clorox lowered FY26 EPS guidance (below consensus) and cut sales expectations (reports noted a ~-6% sales outlook), a primary catalyst for the downturn as it signals near-term demand pressure and margin headwinds. Reduced FY26 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut targets & ratings — Several firms trimmed price targets and adjusted ratings (e.g., Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan lowered PTs and/or moved to equal-weight/underweight), amplifying selling pressure and lowering near-term sentiment. Morgan Stanley PT Cut JPMorgan / Wells Fargo Notes

About Clorox

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.

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