Zacks Research Upgrades Clorox (NYSE:CLX) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Clorox (NYSE:CLX) from a "strong sell" to a "hold" rating, reflecting a more positive outlook for the stock.
• Several analysts have recently lowered their price targets for Clorox, with the consensus price target now set at $141.09 and a majority rating the stock as "hold."
• Clorox reported a quarterly earnings per share of $2.87, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing an increase in revenue compared to the same quarter last year.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

CLX has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Clorox from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Clorox from $150.00 to $134.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $135.00 price target (down previously from $140.00) on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Clorox from $150.00 to $137.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Clorox from $167.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $141.09.

Clorox Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of CLX stock opened at $123.32 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.15, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.84. Clorox has a 52-week low of $116.53 and a 52-week high of $171.37. The company has a market capitalization of $15.08 billion, a PE ratio of 18.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.52. The business's fifty day moving average is $123.33 and its 200 day moving average is $130.02.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.63. Clorox had a return on equity of 377.86% and a net margin of 11.40%.The company had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.82 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.950-6.30 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Clorox will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Eric H. Reynolds sold 15,041 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.78, for a total value of $1,861,774.98. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 54,221 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,711,475.38. This trade represents a 21.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Clorox

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Clorox by 15.6% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 269,926 shares of the company's stock worth $39,747,000 after purchasing an additional 36,352 shares during the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Clorox during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $247,000. Brown Miller Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Clorox during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $399,000. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. bought a new stake in Clorox during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $400,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its position in Clorox by 33.5% during the 1st quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 28,510 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,198,000 after acquiring an additional 7,159 shares in the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Company Profile

The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment offers cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care products primarily under the Clorox, Clorox2, Scentiva, Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Tilex, and Formula 409 brands; professional cleaning and disinfecting products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals and supplement products under the RenewLife, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Rainbow Light brands in the United States.

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