Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 17,335 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group trimmed its stake in Clorox by 5.3%, selling 17,335 shares and now holds 312,055 shares (about 0.26%), while institutional investors own roughly 78.53% of the stock.
• Clorox declared a quarterly dividend of $1.24 (annualized $4.96), implying a 4.8% yield; the ex-dividend date is April 22 and the payment date is May 8.
• Clorox reported Q results with EPS $1.39, missing estimates by $0.04, and revenue fell 0.8% year-over-year; analysts' consensus leans negative (average rating "Reduce") with an average price target of $115.13.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. trimmed its stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 5.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 312,055 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,335 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.26% of Clorox worth $31,465,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in Clorox by 11.7% in 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 during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its position in Clorox by 64.2% in the third quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 25,732 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,173,000 after acquiring an additional 10,065 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Clorox by 27.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 928,654 shares of the company's stock valued at $114,506,000 after acquiring an additional 197,330 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management grew its position in Clorox by 1,395.4% in the third quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 94,332 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,631,000 after acquiring an additional 88,024 shares during the period. Finally, Eliot Finkel Investment Counsel LLC bought a new stake in Clorox in the third quarter valued at $1,697,000. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Price Performance

Shares of CLX stock opened at $102.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.74. The Clorox Company has a 52 week low of $96.66 and a 52 week high of $143.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.39 billion, a PE ratio of 16.74, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.65. The stock's fifty day moving average is $113.15 and its 200-day moving average is $110.41.

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

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. Clorox's dividend payout ratio is 81.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on CLX shares. Evercore decreased their target price on Clorox from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Clorox from $152.00 to $151.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Clorox from $121.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Clorox from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Clorox from $114.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $115.13.

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.

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