Carlson Capital L.P. Boosts Stake in The Clorox Company $CLX

Carlson Capital L.P. increased its holdings in shares of The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) by 122.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,050 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,950 shares during the quarter. Clorox comprises 0.6% of Carlson Capital L.P.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Carlson Capital L.P.’s holdings in Clorox were worth $1,871,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of CLX. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Clorox by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,434,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,039,946,000 after purchasing an additional 282,794 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Clorox by 22.1% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,880,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $492,085,000 after purchasing an additional 884,751 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Clorox by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,172,233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $318,613,000 after purchasing an additional 10,060 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in shares of Clorox by 15.7% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,136,405 shares of the company’s stock valued at $316,244,000 after purchasing an additional 426,433 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its position in Clorox by 33.8% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,740,175 shares of the company’s stock worth $214,564,000 after buying an additional 439,797 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.53% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Clorox

In related news, Director Pierre R. Breber bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $85.82 per share, with a total value of $429,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 18,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,544,760. This represents a 38.46% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Clorox from $110.00 to $97.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on Clorox from $97.00 to $95.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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. Zacks Research cut shares of Clorox from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Clorox from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 18th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $101.00.

Clorox Price Performance

NYSE:CLX opened at $95.66 on Friday. The Clorox Company has a 52 week low of $84.70 and a 52 week high of $128.90. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $95.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $103.67. The company has a market capitalization of $11.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.53 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.03.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.67 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 443.64% and a net margin of 11.18%.The company’s revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.45 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Clorox Company will post 5.52 EPS for the current year.

About Clorox

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.