Horizon Investments LLC Lowers Stock Position in The Clorox Company $CLX

Key Points

• Horizon Investments LLC cut its Clorox stake by 94.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 55,819 shares and ending with just 3,367 shares worth about $336,000.
• Clorox beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.64 EPS versus the $1.55 estimate, while revenue came in at $1.67 billion and was roughly flat year over year.
• Analysts remain cautious overall: several firms trimmed price targets, and the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” with a consensus price target of $104.

Horizon Investments LLC lowered its position in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 94.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,367 shares of the company's stock after selling 55,819 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in Clorox were worth $336,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in Clorox by 64.2% during the third quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 25,732 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,173,000 after buying an additional 10,065 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in Clorox by 11.7% during the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,297,016 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,922,000 after buying an additional 136,135 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Clorox by 27.0% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 928,654 shares of the company's stock worth $114,506,000 after purchasing an additional 197,330 shares during the last quarter. Eliot Finkel Investment Counsel LLC bought a new position in Clorox in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,697,000. Finally, Occidental Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Clorox in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,115,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Clorox

In other Clorox news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 5,000 shares of Clorox stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $85.82 per share, with a total value of $429,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 18,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,544,760. This trade represents a 38.46% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CLX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Clorox from $99.00 to $95.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Clorox from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Clorox from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Clorox from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $91.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $104.00.

Clorox Price Performance

CLX opened at $92.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.59. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $106.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $108.04. The Clorox Company has a 52-week low of $84.70 and a 52-week high of $138.23.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.18% and a return on equity of 443.64%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.45 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 5.63 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.4%. Clorox's dividend payout ratio is currently 80.52%.

Clorox News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed strong bullish speculation, with traders buying 14,071 CLX call options on Friday, far above the typical daily volume. This may signal expectations for a rebound.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted Clorox as a high-yield dividend stock, noting its roughly 5.7% yield and its potential to become a Dividend King in 2027 if it continues raising payouts.
• Positive Sentiment: A director reportedly bought about $429,100 worth of Clorox shares, which investors often view as a sign of insider confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term performance commentary emphasized Clorox’s consistency as a consumer staples company, with steady dividends and resilience over the past decade, but without a clear new catalyst for near-term earnings. If You Had Invested $1,000 in Clorox a Decade Ago: A Prospective Dividend King’s Long-Term Payoff
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP said it is investigating claims on behalf of Clorox investors, adding legal uncertainty that could weigh on the stock. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of The Clorox Company - CLX
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary noted that Clorox has fallen to an 11-year low, reflecting weaker investor confidence despite its dividend yield. Contrarian Take: This High-Yield Dividend Stock Is a Buy in May Despite Falling to an 11-Year Low

Clorox Company Profile

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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