Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Purchases 20,886 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management boosted its Clorox stake by 7.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 20,886 more shares and bringing its holdings to 297,654 shares worth about $30.0 million.
• Clorox beat earnings expectations in its latest quarterly report, posting $1.64 EPS versus the $1.55 consensus, while revenue came in roughly in line at $1.67 billion.
• Dividend and sentiment remain notable: Clorox paid a quarterly dividend of $1.24 per share, implying a 5.4% annual yield, but Wall Street is cautious overall with an average “Reduce” rating and a $104 price target.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 7.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 297,654 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,886 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.24% of Clorox worth $30,018,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its stake in Clorox by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 26,260 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,648,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481 shares in the last quarter. Garner Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in Clorox in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in Clorox by 153.1% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,073 shares of the company's stock valued at $612,000 after purchasing an additional 3,674 shares in the last quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Clorox in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its stake in Clorox by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 13,786 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,390,000 after purchasing an additional 711 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Clorox from $110.00 to $96.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $91.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Clorox from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "sell" rating and set a $83.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of Clorox from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Clorox currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $104.00.

Clorox Stock Down 0.1%

Clorox stock opened at $92.04 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.59. The Clorox Company has a 1-year low of $84.70 and a 1-year high of $138.23. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $106.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03.

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

Clorox Announces Dividend

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

Key Clorox News

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $85.82 per share, for a total transaction of $429,100.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 18,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,544,760. The trade was a 38.46% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Clorox 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CLX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.