The Clorox Company $CLX Stake Lessened by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 44.9% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,189 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,293 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Clorox were worth $1,056,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. boosted its position in Clorox by 26.2% during the 1st quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 3,386 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares during the period. Farmers National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Clorox in the 1st quarter valued at about $201,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Clorox by 35.2% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,129 shares of the company’s stock worth $532,000 after purchasing an additional 1,334 shares in the last quarter. First Nebraska Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Clorox in the first quarter worth approximately $5,456,000. Finally, Financial Solutions Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the first quarter worth approximately $962,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Stock Up 0.1%

Clorox stock opened at $105.24 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.83, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $96.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80. The Clorox Company has a 1-year low of $84.70 and a 1-year high of $128.90.

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

Clorox Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is a boost from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.8%. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is currently 102.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on CLX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Clorox from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $83.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research lowered Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Evercore set a $99.00 target price on Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target 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.