Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Upgraded to “Neutral” at BNP Paribas Exane

BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Clorox (NYSE:CLX) from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat reports.

Several other analysts have also commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Clorox from $114.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their target price on Clorox from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $109.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Clorox from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Clorox from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $117.93.

Clorox Price Performance

NYSE:CLX opened at $125.96 on Wednesday. Clorox has a one year low of $96.66 and a one year high of $159.04. The stock has a market cap of $15.23 billion, a PE ratio of 20.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $106.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.67.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.43 by ($0.04). Clorox had a return on equity of 383.01% and a net margin of 11.17%.The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.55 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Clorox will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 28th. Clorox’s payout ratio is 81.05%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Pierre R. Breber acquired 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $104.13 per share, with a total value of $416,520.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 13,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,353,690. This trade represents a 44.44% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Clorox by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,845,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,902,569,000 after buying an additional 272,420 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Clorox by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,434,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,039,946,000 after acquiring an additional 282,794 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Clorox by 23.1% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,995,590 shares of the company’s stock valued at $492,656,000 after acquiring an additional 750,415 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Clorox by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,172,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $318,613,000 after acquiring an additional 10,060 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 93.9% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,709,972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $334,139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,312,471 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.