ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Takes Position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. acquired a new position in The Clorox Company, purchasing 17,317 shares valued at approximately $2.55 million in the first quarter.
• Analyst ratings show mixed outlooks for Clorox, with Barclays setting a target price of $119 and a rating of "underweight," while Jefferies maintains a "buy" rating with a target of $145.
• Clorox recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.24 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $4.96 and a yield of 3.9%.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. bought a new position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 17,317 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,550,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the first quarter worth about $112,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Clorox by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,573,076 shares of the company's stock worth $2,293,135,000 after buying an additional 65,924 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in Clorox during the 1st quarter worth approximately $142,000. Advyzon Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Clorox during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $213,000. Finally, Sfmg LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Sfmg LLC now owns 2,780 shares of the company's stock valued at $409,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Clorox from $129.00 to $119.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Clorox from $167.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Clorox from $150.00 to $134.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $135.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Clorox in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Clorox and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Clorox currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $143.36.

Clorox Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CLX opened at $126.06 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.15, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $125.65 and a 200 day moving average of $138.19. The firm has a market cap of $15.54 billion, a PE ratio of 19.33, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.49. The Clorox Company has a one year low of $117.35 and a one year high of $171.37.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.63. Clorox had a net margin of 11.40% and a return on equity of 377.86%. The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.82 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 13th. This is an increase from Clorox's previous quarterly dividend of $1.22. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Clorox's payout ratio is currently 74.85%.

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.

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