Groupe la Francaise Buys 6,514 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Groupe la Francaise grew its stake in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 13.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 54,468 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,514 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Clorox were worth $5,645,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Clorox during the 4th quarter valued at about $135,735,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Clorox by 22.1% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,880,341 shares of the company’s stock worth $492,085,000 after buying an additional 884,751 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Clorox by 6,907.9% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 749,703 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,593,000 after buying an additional 739,005 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Clorox in the second quarter worth approximately $71,856,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its stake in shares of Clorox by 33.8% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,740,175 shares of the company’s stock worth $214,564,000 after buying an additional 439,797 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Clorox

In other news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $85.82 per share, with a total value of $429,100.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly 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 acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.63% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Clorox Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of Clorox stock opened at $95.66 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $11.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.53 and a beta of 0.54. The company’s 50 day moving average is $95.51 and its 200 day moving average is $103.67. The Clorox Company has a twelve month low of $84.70 and a twelve month high of $128.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.18% and a return on equity of 443.64%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that The Clorox Company will post 5.52 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on CLX shares. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Clorox from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on Clorox from $97.00 to $95.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $94.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Clorox from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $101.00.

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.