Graypoint LLC Increases Its Stake in The Clorox Company

Graypoint LLC has raised its investment in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 28.0% during the third quarter, as outlined in the firm's latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Following this increase, Graypoint now owns 3,899 shares of Clorox stock after acquiring an additional 854 shares during the quarter. As of the end of this quarter, Graypoint's holdings in Clorox are valued at approximately $635,000.

In addition, several other large investors have also adjusted their positions in Clorox. Insight Folios Inc, for example, boosted its holdings by 3.0% in the third quarter, accumulating 2,195 shares valued at $358,000 after purchasing 63 additional shares. Similarly, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake by 2.0% in the second quarter, now owning 3,634 shares worth around $496,000 after buying 72 more shares. Fiduciary Group LLC slightly increased its holdings by 0.4%, bringing its total to 19,050 shares valued at $2.6 million after an additional 72 shares purchase. Other notable increases include SPC Financial Inc. raising its stake by 2.2%, while Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its position by 17.2% in the third quarter, acquiring 75 additional shares to own a total of 510 shares valued at $83,000. Overall, institutional investors hold approximately 78.53% of Clorox's shares.

Analysts' Ratings and Opinions

Recent comments from various equity research analysts have influenced ratings for Clorox. Citigroup increased its price target for Clorox shares from $165.00 to $170.00, maintaining a "neutral" rating in a report from September 6th. Deutsche Bank also raised its target from $144.00 to $151.00, suggesting a "hold" rating. On the other hand, BNP Paribas downgraded Clorox shares to a "strong sell" rating in the same timeframe. TD Cowen made a favorable adjustment, changing its rating from "sell" to "hold" while increasing its price objective from $155.00 to $170.00. Finally, DA Davidson raised its target from $153.00 to $171.00 while issuing a "neutral" rating. Currently, five analysts rate Clorox with a sell designation, ten suggest holding the stock, and one gives a buy recommendation. MarketBeat.com reports an average rating of "Hold" with a consensus target price of $155.00.

Clorox Stock Performance

On Friday, Clorox stock opened at $165.20. The company has a significant debt-to-equity ratio of 11.08, along with a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Over the past 12 months, the stock has seen a low of $127.60 and a high of $169.09. Clorox's market capitalization stands at $20.45 billion, exhibiting a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 57.56 and a P/E growth ratio of 3.02, with a beta of 0.41. Its 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages are $162.14 and $146.83, respectively.

Clorox recently reported its earnings results on October 30th, where it achieved an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.86, surpassing estimates of $1.36 by $0.50. The company's revenue for the quarter was $1.76 billion, exceeding the anticipated $1.64 billion. Clorox enjoyed a net profit margin of 4.78% and an impressive return on equity at 316.08%, with year-over-year revenue growth of 27.0%. Analysts forecast that Clorox will post an EPS of 6.81 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcements

Recently, Clorox declared a quarterly dividend, which was disbursed on November 7th. Shareholders who were on record as of October 23rd received a dividend payment of $1.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was also October 23rd. This reflects an annualized dividend of $4.88, yielding approximately 2.95%. However, Clorox's payout ratio is notably high at 170.04%.

Insider Transactions

In insider news, EVP Angela C. Hilt sold 1,733 shares of Clorox stock on September 6th at an average price of $165.52, resulting in a total transaction value of $286,846.16. After this sale, Hilt directly owns 13,471 shares, valued at about $2,229,719.92. This transaction did not significantly alter her ownership percentage, and the details were disclosed in a filing with the SEC.

Company Overview

The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products globally. Its operations are divided into four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment includes cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care items marketed under various brands, including Clorox, Pine-Sol, and Formula 409. The company also supplies professional cleaning and disinfecting products through CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare, along with food service products and health supplements.

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