Abacus FCF Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

Abacus FCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Free Report) by 52.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,838 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 5,824 shares during the period. Abacus FCF Advisors LLC's holdings in Clorox were worth $2,735,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CLX. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its stake in Clorox by 163.8% in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 153 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 184 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Clorox during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. 78.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of CLX stock traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $141.35. 1,249,590 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,298,188. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.52, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The Clorox Company has a 1 year low of $127.60 and a 1 year high of $171.37. The company's 50 day moving average is $147.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $157.21. The company has a market cap of $17.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.61.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.16. Clorox had a net margin of 6.38% and a return on equity of 316.87%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a $1.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.45%. Clorox's payout ratio is currently 133.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CLX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded Clorox from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, January 5th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Clorox from $145.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Clorox from $161.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of Clorox from $171.00 to $169.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Clorox currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $156.75.

Clorox Company Profile

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.