United Asset Strategies Inc. Boosts Stake in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

United Asset Strategies Inc. raised its holdings in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 75.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,892 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,726 shares during the period. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in Clorox were worth $4,547,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Tyler Stone Wealth Management purchased a new position in Clorox in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Clorox in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. American National Bank increased its stake in Clorox by 2,466.7% in the third quarter. American National Bank now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Clorox during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, First Capital Advisors Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Clorox in the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Clorox Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of CLX traded up $1.88 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $142.41. 325,803 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,204,529. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.37. The Clorox Company has a 1 year low of $114.68 and a 1 year high of $178.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 223.07, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.43. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $150.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $141.60.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $1.08. Clorox had a net margin of 1.09% and a return on equity of 319.41%. The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Clorox Company will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clorox Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is currently 761.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on CLX shares. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $162.00 price objective on shares of Clorox in a report on Monday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Clorox from $145.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Clorox in a report on Friday, March 1st. They set a “sell” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $160.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Clorox from $148.00 to $136.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $148.50.

Clorox Company Profile

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.