Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Clorox (NYSE:CLX)

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 58,784 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 816% compared to the average daily volume of 6,420 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Haverford Trust Co boosted its holdings in Clorox by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $310,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Field & Main Bank boosted its stake in shares of Clorox by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 28.2% in the fourth quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 454 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its position in Clorox by 1.8% during the first quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 5,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $617,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Clorox by 3.1% in the third quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $451,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of Clorox stock opened at $108.31 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $97.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.39. Clorox has a 1-year low of $84.70 and a 1-year high of $128.90. 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 company has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.47, a PEG ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.54.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.02. Clorox had a return on equity of 522.23% and a net margin of 8.74%.The company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Clorox will post 5.82 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 a positive change from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. Clorox’s payout ratio is 102.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on CLX shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on Clorox from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $84.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Clorox from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $98.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Clorox currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $102.40.

Clorox Company Profile

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.