Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Upgraded by BNP Paribas Exane to “Neutral” Rating

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) was upgraded by stock analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup raised 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. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $109.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Clorox from $114.00 to $112.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Clorox from $110.00 to $94.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Clorox from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $117.93.

Clorox Price Performance

Shares of CLX stock opened at $121.47 on Wednesday. Clorox has a twelve month low of $96.66 and a twelve month high of $159.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $106.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $113.58. The company has a market cap of $14.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Insider Activity at Clorox

In other Clorox news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $104.13 per share, for a total transaction of $416,520.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 13,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,353,690. The trade was a 44.44% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Clorox

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Clorox by 4.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,970,000 after acquiring an additional 514 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 253.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 10,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,465 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Clorox during the 2nd quarter valued at $317,000. Aberdeen Group plc boosted its position in Clorox by 12.1% during the 2nd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 137,194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,473,000 after buying an additional 14,792 shares during the period. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 20,108 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,414,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.