Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Makes New Investment in The Clorox Company $CLX

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 7,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $678,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its position in shares of Clorox by 250.6% in the fourth quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 55,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,552,000 after acquiring an additional 39,360 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC increased its position in Clorox by 131.8% during the fourth quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC now owns 62,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,297,000 after acquiring an additional 35,506 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Clorox by 6.1% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,405,774 shares of the company’s stock worth $145,680,000 after acquiring an additional 80,618 shares during the period. National Pension Service raised its stake in Clorox by 68.9% during the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 27,537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,777,000 after purchasing an additional 11,233 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co acquired a new position in Clorox during the 4th quarter valued at $1,966,000. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Clorox Stock Down 1.0%

NYSE CLX opened at $102.57 on Friday. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average is $99.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $102.72. The company has a market capitalization of $12.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.54. 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 earnings results 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 business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 522.23% and a net margin of 8.74%.Clorox’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.87 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that The Clorox Company will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th were given a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. This is a positive change from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CLX shares. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Clorox from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $125.00 to $98.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research cut shares of Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Clorox from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $84.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, July 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently 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.