NewEdge Advisors LLC Sells 8,649 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

NewEdge Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 11.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 66,160 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,649 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC owned 0.05% of Clorox worth $6,856,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. raised its holdings in Clorox by 250.6% in the 4th quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 55,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,552,000 after acquiring an additional 39,360 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 131.8% during the fourth quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC now owns 62,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,297,000 after acquiring an additional 35,506 shares during the period. National Pension Service grew its position in shares of Clorox by 68.9% in the fourth quarter. National Pension Service now owns 27,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,777,000 after purchasing an additional 11,233 shares during the last quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Clorox in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $22,103,000. Finally, Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new position in shares of Clorox during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,966,000. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Pierre R. Breber bought 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $85.82 per share, for a total transaction of $429,100.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 18,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,544,760. This represents a 38.46% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on Clorox from $97.00 to $95.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 20th. Barclays increased their price objective on Clorox from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. UBS Group lifted their target price on Clorox from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Zacks Research cut shares of Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Evercore restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $98.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $101.00.

Clorox Price Performance

Clorox stock opened at $96.69 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $95.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $103.72. The Clorox Company has a one year low of $84.70 and a one year high of $128.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market cap of $11.69 billion, a PE ratio of 15.70 and a beta of 0.54.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.09. Clorox had a return on equity of 443.64% and a net margin of 11.18%.The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.45 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.