Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Hits New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Clorox shares hit a new 52-week low, trading as low as $82.46, well below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages of $97.66 and $98.25.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: 13 analysts rate the stock Hold and four rate it Sell, producing an average “Reduce” rating and a $101.40 price target.
• Clorox exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, but revenue fell 2% year over year. The company announced a $1.25 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 6.1% yield, though its payout ratio is elevated at 103.73%.

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $82.46 and last traded at $82.3860, with a volume of 1284239 shares. The stock had previously closed at $83.94.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CLX has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded Clorox from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Clorox from $102.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Clorox from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 19th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Clorox from $100.00 to $97.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $98.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $101.40.

Clorox Stock Performance

The stock's 50-day moving average price is $97.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market cap of $9.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.56.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 8.74% and a return on equity of 522.23%. The firm's revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.87 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 28th will be issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 28th. Clorox's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.73%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Clorox

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Clorox in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new position in Clorox during the second quarter worth $29,000. Markowski Investments purchased a new stake in Clorox during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in Clorox by 83.8% in the 1st 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. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Clorox during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Clorox Company Profile

The Clorox Company NYSE: CLX is a consumer products company that develops, manufactures and markets household, health and wellness, and lifestyle products. Its portfolio includes cleaning and disinfecting products, laundry and home-care items, food products, personal-care products, water-filtration systems, charcoal, and cat litter.

Clorox's brands include Clorox bleach and disinfecting products, Pine-Sol, Fresh Step and Scoop Away, Kingsford, Brita, Burt's Bees, Hidden Valley, and products marketed under the Glad name.

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