The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Buys 15,635 Shares of The Clorox Company $CLX

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 22.9% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 83,928 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 15,635 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Clorox were worth $8,697,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CLX. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its position in Clorox by 250.6% in the fourth quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 55,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,552,000 after purchasing an additional 39,360 shares during the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Clorox by 131.8% in the fourth quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC now owns 62,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,297,000 after purchasing an additional 35,506 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service increased its stake in shares of Clorox by 68.9% in the fourth quarter. National Pension Service now owns 27,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,777,000 after buying an additional 11,233 shares during the period. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Clorox during the 4th quarter valued at $22,103,000. Finally, Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co purchased a new stake in Clorox during the 4th quarter valued at $1,966,000. Institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on CLX shares. Zacks Research cut shares of Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Citigroup raised their target price on Clorox from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $84.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a report on Tuesday. Evercore set a $99.00 price objective on Clorox in a report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Clorox from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $102.40.

Clorox News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clorox reported fiscal Q4 adjusted earnings of $1.66 per share, ahead of the $1.64 analyst consensus, while revenue of $1.95 billion exceeded the $1.91 billion estimate. The GOJO acquisition contributed meaningfully to sales and helped support the earnings beat. Clorox Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management projected fiscal 2027 revenue of approximately $7.6 billion to $7.7 billion and adjusted EPS of $5.70 to $6.00. Expected growth is tied to GOJO, market-share recovery, pricing actions and easier comparisons following the enterprise-resource-planning implementation. Clorox forecasts upbeat annual sales as demand improves
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets after the quarterly results, supporting the immediate market reaction. Clorox also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.24, maintaining its appeal to income-oriented investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lifted its price target from $92 to $95 but retained an “underweight” rating, while Wells Fargo raised its target from $95 to $102 and maintained an “equal weight” rating. Both targets remain below the current share price, signaling limited analyst conviction despite the revisions. JPMorgan raises Clorox price target
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying performance was weaker: quarterly revenue declined 2% year over year, while prior-year EPS was $2.87. Lower volumes, muted category demand, inflation and supply-chain costs are weighing on margins, and consumers continue to trade down to cheaper products. Clorox Q4 results and margin pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 EPS guidance is below the roughly $6.23 consensus cited in company coverage, and management expects more than $200 million of inflation-related pressure. This leaves the recovery dependent on GOJO growth, pricing and successful share gains.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of CLX opened at $104.26 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $95.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.93 and a beta of 0.54. The Clorox Company has a one year low of $84.70 and a one year high of $128.90.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 764.12% and a net margin of 8.74%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.87 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that The Clorox Company will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is an increase from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. Clorox’s payout ratio is 80.52%.

About Clorox

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.