Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Sells 33,875 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund trimmed its stake in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 38.4% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 54,378 shares of the company’s stock after selling 33,875 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Clorox were worth $6,705,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CLX. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Clorox in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. bought a new position in Clorox in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 567.6% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 227 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Clorox by 1,020.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 224 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Clorox during the third quarter worth $29,000. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE CLX opened at $125.86 on Friday. The Clorox Company has a 52-week low of $96.66 and a 52-week high of $159.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market cap of $15.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $107.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.73.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by ($0.04). Clorox had a return on equity of 383.01% and a net margin of 11.17%.The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.55 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th were paid a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 28th. Clorox’s payout ratio is presently 81.05%.

Insider Activity

In other Clorox news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $104.13 per share, with a total value of $416,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,353,690. This trade represents a 44.44% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on CLX. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Clorox from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Clorox from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $117.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Clorox from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Clorox from $114.00 to $112.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Clorox presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $118.07.

Clorox 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.