Jefferies Financial Group Has Lowered Expectations for Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Stock Price

Key Points

• Jefferies cut its price target on Clorox from $151 to $139 but kept a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 38.7% upside from the current share price.
• Several other firms (JPMorgan, Evercore, RBC, Barclays) have also lowered targets or ratings, and MarketBeat's consensus lists an average rating of "Reduce" with an average price target of $113.07.
• Shares slipped about 1.9% to $100.21 after Clorox reported a quarterly EPS miss ($1.39 vs. $1.43 expected); the stock trades near its one‑year low and has a market cap of $12.12B and a P/E of 16.37.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $151.00 to $139.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 38.71% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and issued a $99.00 price objective (down from $117.00) on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday. Evercore dropped their price objective on shares of Clorox from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Clorox from $132.00 to $127.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Clorox from $109.00 to $102.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Clorox from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Clorox has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $113.07.

Clorox Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of Clorox stock traded down $1.96 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $100.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,287,781 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,215,494. Clorox has a one year low of $96.66 and a one year high of $143.96. The company has a market capitalization of $12.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 0.65. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $112.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $109.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.74.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.43 by ($0.04). Clorox had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 383.01%. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.55 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Clorox will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Clorox

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLX. Haverford Trust Co lifted its holdings in Clorox by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 3,070 shares of the company's stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Field & Main Bank grew its position in shares of Clorox by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 3,100 shares of the company's stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Clorox by 28.2% in the fourth quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 454 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Clorox by 1.7% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 6,053 shares of the company's stock worth $746,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Clorox by 8.5% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,333 shares of the company's stock worth $164,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company's stock.

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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