Essex Financial Services Inc. Invests $718,000 in The Clorox Company $CLX

Essex Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 6,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $718,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CLX. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. acquired a new stake in Clorox during the first quarter worth approximately $12,924,000. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Clorox in the 1st quarter valued at $1,337,000. IFM Investors Pty Ltd lifted its position in shares of Clorox by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 24,284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,517,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the period. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 3,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $404,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Clorox in the first quarter worth $2,327,000. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:CLX opened at $97.15 on Friday. 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 Clorox Company has a one year low of $84.70 and a one year high of $132.03. The company has a market cap of $11.75 billion, a PE ratio of 15.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $94.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $104.23.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.18% and a return on equity of 443.64%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.45 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Clorox Company will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on CLX shares. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Clorox from $132.00 to $127.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $91.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Clorox from $102.00 to $85.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Clorox from $110.00 to $97.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Clorox from $98.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $103.40.

Insider Activity at Clorox

In related news, Director Pierre R. Breber acquired 5,000 shares of Clorox stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $85.82 per share, with a total value of $429,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 18,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,544,760. This represents a 38.46% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Clorox Company Profile

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.