The Clorox Company $CLX Stock Position Lowered by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its Clorox stake by 54.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 47,394 shares and leaving it with 39,400 shares worth about $3.97 million.
• Clorox reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.64 per share versus $1.55 estimated, while revenue of $1.67 billion matched forecasts. The company also guided FY 2026 EPS at $5.45 to $5.65.
• Despite the earnings beat, sentiment remains cautious: several analysts lowered price targets, and the stock has an average “Reduce” rating with a consensus target of $103.40. Clorox also paid a quarterly dividend of $1.24 per share, equal to a 5.2% yield.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lessened its position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 54.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 39,400 shares of the company's stock after selling 47,394 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in Clorox were worth $3,973,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Clorox by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,434,277 shares of the company's stock worth $1,039,946,000 after buying an additional 282,794 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Clorox by 23.1% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,995,590 shares of the company's stock worth $492,656,000 after buying an additional 750,415 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of Clorox by 93.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,709,972 shares of the company's stock worth $334,139,000 after buying an additional 1,312,471 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in shares of Clorox by 33.8% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,740,175 shares of the company's stock worth $214,564,000 after purchasing an additional 439,797 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its position in shares of Clorox by 4.8% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,539,006 shares of the company's stock worth $189,759,000 after purchasing an additional 70,783 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Clorox

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

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of CLX stock opened at $94.97 on Friday. The Clorox Company has a 1-year low of $84.70 and a 1-year high of $132.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03. The company has a market capitalization of $11.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.59. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $99.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.29.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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. Clorox had a return on equity of 443.64% and a net margin of 11.18%.The business had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. Clorox's revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.2%. Clorox's payout ratio is currently 80.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CLX shares. Zacks Research lowered Clorox from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen raised Clorox from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on Clorox from $128.00 to $97.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Barclays cut their target price on Clorox from $102.00 to $85.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Clorox from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Clorox has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $103.40.

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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