PGGM Investments Sells 1,595 Shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

PGGM Investments lessened its holdings in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 54.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,328 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,595 shares during the period. PGGM Investments’ holdings in Clorox were worth $189,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in shares of Clorox by 11.9% in the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 28,195 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,695,000 after purchasing an additional 3,005 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 58.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,362 shares of the company’s stock worth $441,000 after acquiring an additional 1,238 shares during the last quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Clorox in the third quarter worth $740,000. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Clorox during the third quarter valued at about $484,000. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its stake in Clorox by 11.5% during the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 321,219 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,099,000 after purchasing an additional 33,044 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE:CLX opened at $148.92 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $149.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $142.95. The stock has a market cap of $18.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 236.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.37. The Clorox Company has a 12 month low of $114.68 and a 12 month high of $178.21.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $1.08. Clorox had a net margin of 1.09% and a return on equity of 319.41%. The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.98 earnings per share. Clorox’s quarterly revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 5.52 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.22%. Clorox’s payout ratio is 761.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $162.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Clorox from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $145.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Clorox from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They set a “sell” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on Clorox from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Clorox currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $148.63.

About Clorox

The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment offers cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care products primarily under the Clorox, Clorox2, Scentiva, Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Tilex, and Formula 409 brands; professional cleaning and disinfecting products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals and supplement products under the RenewLife, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Rainbow Light brands in the United States.