Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Zacks Research lowered shares of Clorox (NYSE:CLX) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on CLX. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Clorox from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Clorox from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Clorox from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $91.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Clorox from $99.00 to $95.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Clorox presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $103.73.

Clorox Stock Up 3.4%

Shares of Clorox stock opened at $92.10 on Tuesday. Clorox has a 1 year low of $84.70 and a 1 year high of $136.69. The business has a 50-day moving average of $103.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $107.26. The company has a market capitalization of $11.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.65.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 443.64% and a net margin of 11.18%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Clorox will post 5.63 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.4%. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Clorox

In other news, Director Pierre R. Breber bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $85.82 per share, for a total transaction of $429,100.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 18,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,544,760. This trade represents a 38.46% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Clorox

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Clorox by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,380 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,970,000 after acquiring an additional 514 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its stake in Clorox by 253.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 10,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,532,000 after acquiring an additional 7,465 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Clorox by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 25,032 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,006,000 after acquiring an additional 424 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC increased its stake in Clorox by 173.5% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 12,491 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,500,000 after acquiring an additional 7,924 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in Clorox by 26.2% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 16,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,938,000 after acquiring an additional 3,352 shares during the period. 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.