Clorox (NYSE:CLX) Given New $94.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) had its price objective boosted by Morgan Stanley from $87.00 to $94.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

CLX has been the topic of several other research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Clorox in a research report on Tuesday. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Clorox in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group set a $88.00 price objective on Clorox in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research note on Monday, October 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Clorox currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $93.79.

Clorox Price Performance

Shares of CLX opened at $99.12 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $87.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $99.77. Clorox has a fifty-two week low of $79.12 and a fifty-two week high of $128.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.99 billion, a PE ratio of 17.83, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.91, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.65.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 9.41% and a return on equity of 608.30%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 33.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.85 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Clorox will post 5.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 28th will be given a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 28th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 89.93%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Equity Investment Corp increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 34.8% in the 3rd quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,578,983 shares of the company’s stock valued at $127,913,000 after purchasing an additional 407,569 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Clorox by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 34,279 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,777,000 after purchasing an additional 1,302 shares during the period. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. purchased a new position in Clorox during the third quarter worth approximately $163,038,000. M&G PLC boosted its position in Clorox by 67.4% during the third quarter. M&G PLC now owns 75,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,099,000 after purchasing an additional 30,325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 94.6% in the third quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 9,114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $738,000 after purchasing an additional 4,431 shares during the period. 78.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Clorox

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clorox beat first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates, with higher sales, cost savings and contributions from GOJO supporting results. It maintained fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.70–$6.00 and revenue guidance of $7.6 billion–$7.7 billion. Clorox Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates on Higher Sales & Cost Savings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed. Morgan Stanley raised its target to $94 but kept an equal-weight rating; UBS raised its target to $96 and maintained neutral, while Barclays reiterated a sell rating. Morgan Stanley rating and price target
• Negative Sentiment: Inflation and other rising costs are squeezing margins, and reports indicate Clorox expects earnings nearer the low end of its forecast. That could limit the benefit of the quarterly beat. Q1 Earnings Call Highlights Inflation and Margin Pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Investors also face concerns about dividend coverage and increased debt following the GOJO acquisition, while management’s comments about consumer spending point to a potentially challenging economic backdrop. Clorox Earnings Outlook and Dividend Concerns

About Clorox

The Clorox Company, founded in 1913 and headquartered in Oakland, California, is a consumer and professional products company. It began with household bleach and has expanded into a portfolio of brands serving cleaning, household, personal care, food, and professional markets.

Its brands include Clorox disinfecting and cleaning products, Pine-Sol cleaners, Liquid-Plumr drain care, Kingsford charcoal, Fresh Step and Scoop Away cat litter, Hidden Valley dressings and dips, Brita water filtration products, and Burt’s Bees personal care items.