The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Buys 15,635 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its Clorox position by 22.9% in the first quarter, adding 15,635 shares for a total of 83,928 shares worth approximately $8.7 million. Institutional investors own 78.53% of Clorox.
• Clorox surpassed quarterly expectations with $1.66 in adjusted EPS and $1.95 billion in revenue, although revenue declined 2% year over year. The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share, a 4.8% yield, and issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $5.70 to $6.00.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Reduce” rating and a $102.40 price target versus the reported share price of $104.26. Inflation, weaker volumes, muted demand and consumer trade-down behavior continue to pressure performance.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 22.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 83,928 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,635 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.07% of Clorox worth $8,697,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Clorox during the 4th quarter valued at $135,735,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Clorox by 22.1% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,880,341 shares of the company's stock worth $492,085,000 after buying an additional 884,751 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Clorox by 6,907.9% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 749,703 shares of the company's stock worth $75,593,000 after buying an additional 739,005 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Clorox during the second quarter valued at $71,856,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in Clorox by 33.8% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,740,175 shares of the company's stock worth $214,564,000 after acquiring an additional 439,797 shares during the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Price Performance

CLX opened at $104.26 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $12.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.93 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $95.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $103.52. The Clorox Company has a 12-month low of $84.70 and a 12-month 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 764.12% and a net margin of 8.74%.Clorox's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.87 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. Equities analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.8%. This is a boost from Clorox's previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. Clorox's payout ratio is 80.52%.

Key Clorox News

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clorox reported fiscal Q4 adjusted earnings of $1.66 per share, ahead of the $1.64 analyst consensus, while revenue of $1.95 billion exceeded the $1.91 billion estimate. The GOJO acquisition contributed meaningfully to sales and helped support the earnings beat. Clorox Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management projected fiscal 2027 revenue of approximately $7.6 billion to $7.7 billion and adjusted EPS of $5.70 to $6.00. Expected growth is tied to GOJO, market-share recovery, pricing actions and easier comparisons following the enterprise-resource-planning implementation. Clorox forecasts upbeat annual sales as demand improves
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets after the quarterly results, supporting the immediate market reaction. Clorox also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.24, maintaining its appeal to income-oriented investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lifted its price target from $92 to $95 but retained an “underweight” rating, while Wells Fargo raised its target from $95 to $102 and maintained an “equal weight” rating. Both targets remain below the current share price, signaling limited analyst conviction despite the revisions. JPMorgan raises Clorox price target
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying performance was weaker: quarterly revenue declined 2% year over year, while prior-year EPS was $2.87. Lower volumes, muted category demand, inflation and supply-chain costs are weighing on margins, and consumers continue to trade down to cheaper products. Clorox Q4 results and margin pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 EPS guidance is below the roughly $6.23 consensus cited in company coverage, and management expects more than $200 million of inflation-related pressure. This leaves the recovery dependent on GOJO growth, pricing and successful share gains.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and issued a $84.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Clorox from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Clorox from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Evercore set a $99.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $102.40.

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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