KBC Group NV Sells 119,357 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Key Points

• KBC Group NV reduced its stake in The Clorox Company by 71.6% in Q4, selling 119,357 shares and leaving it with 47,354 shares valued at $4.77 million.
• Analysts carry an average consensus rating of "Reduce" with a $113.93 consensus price target, after several brokers cut their targets while others kept hold/sector-perform views.
• Clorox announced a quarterly dividend of $1.24 per share (ex-dividend April 22, payable May 8), equivalent to a $4.96 annual payout and about a 4.7% yield.

KBC Group NV cut its position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 71.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 47,354 shares of the company's stock after selling 119,357 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Clorox were worth $4,774,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 136,135 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its stake in Clorox by 64.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 25,732 shares of the company's stock worth $3,173,000 after purchasing an additional 10,065 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 928,654 shares of the company's stock valued at $114,506,000 after purchasing an additional 197,330 shares during the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management grew its position in shares of Clorox by 1,395.4% during the third quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 94,332 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,631,000 after purchasing an additional 88,024 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eliot Finkel Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new position in shares of Clorox during the third quarter valued at about $1,697,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Clorox from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Barclays cut their price target on Clorox from $109.00 to $102.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Clorox from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Clorox from $132.00 to $127.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Clorox from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $113.93.

Clorox Trading Down 0.0%

CLX opened at $104.56 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $12.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 0.65. The Clorox Company has a 12 month low of $96.66 and a 12 month high of $143.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $112.85 and a 200 day moving average of $110.10.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.43 by ($0.04). Clorox had a return on equity of 383.01% and a net margin of 11.17%.The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.55 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. Clorox's payout ratio is currently 81.05%.

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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