The Clorox Company $CLX Stock Sold by Willis Investment Counsel

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel cut its Clorox stake by 62.7% in the third quarter, selling 143,800 shares and retaining 85,500 shares valued at approximately $6.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 78.53% of CLX.
• Clorox reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $1.66 per share and revenue of $1.95 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, although revenue declined 2% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $5.70 to $6.00.
• Clorox announced a quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share, equivalent to $5.00 annually and a 5.7% yield. Analysts maintain a generally cautious outlook, with a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $93.57.

Willis Investment Counsel reduced its stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 62.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 85,500 shares of the company's stock after selling 143,800 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel owned 0.07% of Clorox worth $6,926,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CLX. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Clorox during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Clorox in the second quarter worth $28,000. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in Clorox in the second quarter worth $29,000. Markowski Investments bought a new stake in Clorox in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in Clorox by 83.8% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 318 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of Clorox stock traded up $1.98 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $87.54. The stock had a trading volume of 971,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,637,881. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $91.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $95.11. The company has a market capitalization of $10.59 billion, a PE ratio of 18.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80. The Clorox Company has a 1 year low of $79.12 and a 1 year high of $128.90.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 522.23% and a net margin of 8.74%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.87 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 5.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 28th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 28th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. Clorox's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CLX. UBS Group set a $91.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Clorox from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Clorox from $97.00 to $87.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $93.57.

Clorox Profile

The Clorox Company, founded in 1913 and headquartered in Oakland, California, is a consumer and professional products company. It began with household bleach and has expanded into a portfolio of brands serving cleaning, household, personal care, food, and professional markets.

Its brands include Clorox disinfecting and cleaning products, Pine-Sol cleaners, Liquid-Plumr drain care, Kingsford charcoal, Fresh Step and Scoop Away cat litter, Hidden Valley dressings and dips, Brita water filtration products, and Burt's Bees personal care items.

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