Traders Buy Large Volume of Put Options on Clorox (NYSE:CLX)

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) saw some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 15,112 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 153% compared to the typical daily volume of 5,962 put options.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CLX traded up $2.20 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $99.61. 878,167 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,515,985. Clorox has a 1 year low of $84.70 and a 1 year high of $128.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.18 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $95.19 and a 200 day moving average of $103.83.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 11.18% and a return on equity of 443.64%. The firm’s revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.45 earnings per share. Clorox has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Clorox will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Clorox

In other Clorox news, Director Pierre R. Breber acquired 5,000 shares of Clorox stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $85.82 per share, for a total transaction of $429,100.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 18,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,544,760. This represents a 38.46% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Accel Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Clorox in the 2nd quarter worth $273,000. Tema ETFs LLC lifted its position in Clorox by 9.7% during the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 2,405 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Canvas Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Clorox by 77.3% during the second quarter. Canvas Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 94,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,974,000 after purchasing an additional 40,989 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co grew its holdings in Clorox by 24.8% during the second quarter. Kentucky Trust Co now owns 3,749 shares of the company’s stock valued at $358,000 after purchasing an additional 745 shares during the period. Finally, LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI increased its position in Clorox by 209.8% in the second quarter. LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI now owns 9,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $917,000 after buying an additional 6,505 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $94.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Clorox from $110.00 to $97.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Evercore reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $98.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $83.00 target price on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Clorox from $95.00 to $92.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $101.00.

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.