Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Raised to Neutral at BNP Paribas Exane

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

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Clorox from $132.00 to $115.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Clorox from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Clorox from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their target price on Clorox from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Clorox from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $117.93.

Clorox Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of Clorox stock opened at $121.47 on Wednesday. Clorox has a 12-month low of $96.66 and a 12-month high of $159.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.85, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.59. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $106.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $113.58.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by ($0.04). The firm 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 business’s quarterly revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.55 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Clorox will post 7.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Clorox

In other Clorox news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased 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 represents a 44.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Clorox

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Clorox during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Clorox in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Clorox in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its stake in Clorox by 567.6% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 227 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in shares of Clorox by 1,020.0% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the period. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Clorox Company 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.