Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC Invests $1.55 Million in The Clorox Company $CLX

Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 16,206 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,547,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caitlin John LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 1,807.1% in the 4th quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 267 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in Clorox during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Clorox during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Clorox by 83.8% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 318 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Clorox in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Price Performance

Clorox stock opened at $105.85 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $98.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.66. The Clorox Company has a 1 year low of $84.70 and a 1 year high of $128.90. The company has a market capitalization of $12.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.54.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.02. Clorox had a net margin of 8.74% and a return on equity of 522.23%. The firm had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.87 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 5.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is an increase from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 103.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on CLX shares. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Clorox from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen cut Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $84.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Clorox from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Evercore set a $99.00 price target on Clorox in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $102.40.

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.