Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Sets New 52-Week Low - Here's Why

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $129.03 and last traded at $130.01, with a volume of 145805 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.29.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Clorox from $151.00 to $144.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Clorox from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Clorox from $176.00 to $154.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Barclays dropped their price target on Clorox from $134.00 to $129.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $140.00 target price on Clorox and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $151.23.

Clorox Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.52. The company has a market cap of $15.99 billion, a PE ratio of 35.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $137.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $150.63.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.12). Clorox had a net margin of 6.38% and a return on equity of 316.87%. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.71 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Clorox

In related news, Director Pierre R. Breber bought 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $136.57 per share, with a total value of $546,280.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 4,000 shares in the company, valued at $546,280. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Clorox

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CLX. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Clorox by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,718 shares of the company's stock worth $279,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Sonora Investment Management Group LLC increased its stake in Clorox by 2.5% during the first quarter. Sonora Investment Management Group LLC now owns 2,940 shares of the company's stock worth $433,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its stake in Clorox by 0.6% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 13,266 shares of the company's stock worth $1,953,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC increased its stake in Clorox by 4.4% during the first quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 1,768 shares of the company's stock worth $258,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sfmg LLC increased its stake in Clorox by 2.8% during the first quarter. Sfmg LLC now owns 2,780 shares of the company's stock worth $409,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Company Profile

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.