The Clorox Company (CLX) - What Are Investment Firms Saying About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is cautious: Sixteen research firms give Clorox an average “Reduce” rating, including four sells and twelve holds. The average 12-month price target is $97.14, while recent target cuts included TD Cowen lowering its target to $80.
• Quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations: Clorox reported $1.66 in earnings per share versus the $1.64 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.95 billion, though revenue declined 2% year over year and EPS fell from $2.87 in the prior-year period.
• The stock offers a high dividend but faces coverage concerns: Clorox declared a quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share, representing a 5.9% yield, but its 103.73% payout ratio exceeds earnings. Institutional investors own approximately 78.5% of the company.

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Reduce" from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and twelve have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $97.14.

A number of brokerages have commented on CLX. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Clorox from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $98.00 price objective on Clorox in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Clorox in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating and issued a $84.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Clorox from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, October 3rd.

Clorox Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of CLX opened at $84.55 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.38. Clorox has a 1 year low of $79.12 and a 1 year high of $128.90. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $93.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $95.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.59.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 522.23% and a net margin of 8.74%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.87 earnings per share. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Clorox will post 5.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 28th will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 28th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Clorox's dividend payout ratio is 103.73%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Clorox

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 1.8% in the first quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 5,957 shares of the company's stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Clorox by 9.3% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $145,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 32.3% during the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 565 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Clorox by 83.8% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 318 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Webster Bank N. A. lifted its stake in Clorox by 61.2% during the first quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 395 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

About Clorox

The Clorox Company is a consumer and professional products company that develops, manufactures and markets household cleaning, disinfecting, wellness and personal care products. Its portfolio includes the Clorox bleach and cleaning brands, as well as products sold under brands such as Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Fresh Step, Scoop Away, Kingsford, Hidden Valley, Burt's Bees and Brita.

Clorox also offers trash bags, food products, water-filtration systems, charcoal and grilling products, cat litter, and professional cleaning and disinfecting solutions.

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