Shell Asset Management Co. Lowers Position in The Clorox Company $CLX

Shell Asset Management Co. decreased its position in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 38.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,856 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,223 shares during the quarter. Shell Asset Management Co.’s holdings in Clorox were worth $1,215,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLX. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Clorox by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,845,496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,902,569,000 after buying an additional 272,420 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Clorox by 138.3% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,245,175 shares of the company’s stock worth $389,648,000 after acquiring an additional 1,883,465 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox during the 2nd quarter valued at about $190,429,000. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 11.7% in the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,297,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,922,000 after purchasing an additional 136,135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 218.4% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,249,127 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,983,000 after purchasing an additional 856,873 shares in the last quarter. 78.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Pierre R. Breber bought 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $104.13 per share, with a total value of $416,520.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 13,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,353,690. The trade was a 44.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Stock Performance

CLX opened at $125.86 on Monday. The Clorox Company has a twelve month low of $96.66 and a twelve month high of $159.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.57, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.03. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $107.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.55.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 383.01%. The firm’s revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.55 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CLX. UBS Group increased their price target on Clorox from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Clorox from $110.00 to $94.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $109.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Clorox from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $117.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday. One investment 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, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price 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.