Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Purchases New Position in The Clorox Company $CLX

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI purchased a new stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 5,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $518,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Clorox by 250.6% during the fourth quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 55,064 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,552,000 after buying an additional 39,360 shares in the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC boosted its position 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 valued at $6,297,000 after acquiring an additional 35,506 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Clorox by 6.1% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,405,774 shares of the company’s stock valued at $145,680,000 after acquiring an additional 80,618 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service increased its position in Clorox by 68.9% during the fourth quarter. National Pension Service now owns 27,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,777,000 after acquiring an additional 11,233 shares during the period. Finally, Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new position in Clorox during the fourth quarter worth about $1,966,000. 78.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Clorox

Here are the key news stories impacting Clorox this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clorox’s dividend remains attractive relative to Church & Dwight’s, offering substantially more current income. However, the company has increased its dividend more cautiously, making the stock more appealing to income-focused investors than to growth-oriented investors. Two Consumer Staples, Two Dividend Strategies
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Executive Officer Linda Rendle and CFO Luc Bellet will participate in a fireside chat at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference on September 9. The event could provide updates on demand, margins and the company’s outlook, but no new financial guidance was announced. Clorox to Present at Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered its Q1 2027 EPS forecast to $1.02 from $1.28 and cut its FY2027 estimate to $5.82 from $6.00. It also reduced estimates for Q1 and Q2 2028 and FY2028, while maintaining a “Strong Sell” rating. These revisions signal concern about near-term earnings momentum and are the clearest fundamental pressure on CLX. Zacks Research Estimate Changes
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst cited weaker Hidden Valley Ranch dressing sales as consumers become more cautious about buying salad products amid a cyclospora outbreak. Any sustained decline in the brand could weigh on Clorox’s food business and quarterly revenue. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing may be a victim of this summer’s salad scare

Clorox Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of Clorox stock opened at $108.12 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.80. The Clorox Company has a 12-month low of $84.70 and a 12-month high of $128.90. The company has a market capitalization of $13.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $98.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $103.16.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.91 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 8.74% and a return on equity of 522.23%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.87 EPS. Clorox has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.700-6.000 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Clorox Company will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. This is a boost from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is currently 103.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on CLX. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Clorox from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $125.00 to $98.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “sell” rating and set a $83.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $102.40.

Clorox 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.