Equity Investment Corp bought a new position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 1,171,414 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,800,000. Clorox makes up 2.1% of Equity Investment Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CLX. Haverford Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $310,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Field & Main Bank lifted its stake in Clorox by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 28.2% during the 4th quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 454 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 5,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $617,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Clorox by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $451,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.
Clorox News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its EPS forecasts for Clorox’s third-quarter 2027 and fourth-quarter 2027, and projects earnings of $6.89 per share for fiscal 2029. These increases suggest some potential for longer-term earnings growth, although they were offset by reductions elsewhere.
- Neutral Sentiment: An analysis comparing Church & Dwight (CHD) and Clorox (CLX) highlights Clorox’s higher dividend yield. However, Clorox has increased its dividend more cautiously, making the stock more attractive to current-income investors than to investors seeking rapid dividend growth. Two Consumer Staples, Two Dividend Strategies: Church & Dwight and The Clorox Company
- Negative Sentiment: A cyclospora outbreak has made consumers more cautious about buying salads, and one analyst reportedly sees declining sales for Clorox’s Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. A sustained pullback in salad consumption could weigh on brand sales and near-term revenue. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing may be a victim of this summer’s salad scare
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimate to $5.82 from $6.00 and cut its fiscal 2028 forecast to $6.23 from $6.36. It also reduced estimates for the first and second quarters of fiscal 2028 and the second quarter of fiscal 2027. The firm maintains a Strong Sell rating, which is a notable negative signal despite several upward revisions.
Clorox Stock Down 0.1%
Clorox (NYSE:CLX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 8.74% and a return on equity of 522.23%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.87 earnings per share. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Clorox Company will post 5.8 EPS for the current year.
Clorox Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.7%. This is an increase from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. Clorox’s payout ratio is presently 103.73%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CLX. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Clorox from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $125.00 to $98.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Clorox from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $83.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Clorox from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Clorox presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $102.40.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Clorox
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Clorox
- The AI Boom Is Turning This Cable Maker Into a Stock to Watch
- A Star Investor Just Trimmed Amazon—Here’s What It means
- Wendy’s Deal Buzz May Give Fast-Food Investors a New Reason to Look
- Home Depot Analysts See a Path to $375 and Beyond
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CLX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Clorox Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Clorox and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
