Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Acquires 739,005 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management sharply boosted its Clorox stake in Q4, adding 739,005 shares to bring its total holdings to 749,703 shares worth about $75.6 million.
• Clorox recently reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $1.64 EPS versus the $1.55 consensus, while revenue came in at $1.67 billion and management guided FY2026 EPS to $5.45-$5.65.
• Despite the earnings beat, analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock’s average rating is “Reduce,” with a consensus price target of $103.73, while Clorox also pays a $1.24 quarterly dividend yielding about 5.5% annualized.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 6,907.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 749,703 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 739,005 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned 0.61% of Clorox worth $75,593,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CLX. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Clorox by 4.0% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,380 shares of the company's stock worth $1,970,000 after buying an additional 514 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in Clorox by 253.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 10,407 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,465 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Clorox by 1.7% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 25,032 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,006,000 after purchasing an additional 424 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 173.5% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 12,491 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,500,000 after purchasing an additional 7,924 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia grew its holdings in Clorox by 26.2% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 16,141 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,938,000 after purchasing an additional 3,352 shares during the period. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on CLX. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Clorox from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $91.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research cut shares of Clorox from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Evercore reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Clorox from $128.00 to $97.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $103.73.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of CLX stock opened at $90.47 on Monday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $101.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03. The firm has a market cap of $10.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.69, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.59. The Clorox Company has a 12 month low of $84.70 and a 12 month high of $136.69.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.45 earnings per share. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 5.63 EPS 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 5.5%. Clorox's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 80.52%.

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.

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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