The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) Receives Average Recommendation of "Reduce" from Analysts

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the eighteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $144.67.

CLX has been the topic of several research reports. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Clorox in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $130.00 price target on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on Clorox from $136.00 to $132.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Citigroup cut their price target on Clorox from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Clorox from $159.00 to $158.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Clorox from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Clorox

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLX. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 308.5% during the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 192 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. Northwest Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, First United Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.53% of the company's stock.

Clorox Trading Up 0.1 %

CLX stock traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $134.84. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,053,055 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,248,406. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.73, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $134.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.29. Clorox has a 1 year low of $114.68 and a 1 year high of $169.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.78, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.39.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.38. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.87 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 302.49% and a net margin of 3.33%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.51 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Clorox will post 5.91 EPS for the current year.

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.