WBI Investments LLC Makes New $806,000 Investment in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

WBI Investments LLC bought a new position in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,965 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CLX. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its stake in Clorox by 163.8% in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Redwood Park Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Clorox in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in Clorox in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in Clorox in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Clorox in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Price Performance

Shares of CLX stock opened at $134.81 on Tuesday. The Clorox Company has a 1-year low of $127.60 and a 1-year high of $171.37. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $140.80 and its 200 day moving average is $153.09. The company has a market cap of $16.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.83, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.52, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by ($0.12). Clorox had a net margin of 6.38% and a return on equity of 316.87%. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.71 EPS. Clorox’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that The Clorox Company will post 7.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd were issued a $1.22 dividend. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.62%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 23rd. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is presently 87.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CLX. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Clorox from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Clorox from $151.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Clorox from $176.00 to $154.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $150.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Clorox from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Clorox has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $151.23.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Clorox news, Director Pierre R. Breber purchased 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $136.57 per share, with a total value of $546,280.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 4,000 shares in the company, valued at $546,280. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

About Clorox

The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment offers cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care products primarily under the Clorox, Clorox2, Scentiva, Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Tilex, and Formula 409 brands; professional cleaning and disinfecting products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals and supplement products under the RenewLife, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Rainbow Light brands in the United States.