Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Barchart
Barchart
Sohini Mondal

How Is Clorox's Stock Performance Compared to Other Consumer Defensive Stocks?

With a market cap of $14.9 billion, The Clorox Company (CLX) is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. The company operates through four segments: Health and Wellness; Household; Lifestyle; and International, offering trusted brands such as Clorox, Pine-Sol, Glad, Kingsford, Hidden Valley, Brita, and Burt’s Bees. 

Companies valued at more than $10 billion are generally considered “large-cap” stocks, and Clorox fits this criterion perfectly. Its products are sold across mass retailers, grocery stores, e-commerce platforms, and other channels in both U.S. and international markets.

 

Shares of the Oakland, California-based company have pulled back 29.3% from its 52-week high of $171.37. CLX stock has risen marginally over the past three months, slightly outperforming the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLP) 3.3% decline over the same time frame.

www.barchart.com

Longer term, CLX stock is down 25.4% on a YTD basis, a more pronounced decline than XLP’s marginal drop. Moreover, shares of the company have decreased 25.9% over the past 52 weeks, compared to XLP’s 5.7% dip over the same time frame.

Despite a few fluctuations, the stock has been trading mostly below its 50-day moving average since late December last year. Also, it has fallen below its 200-day moving average since February.

www.barchart.com

Despite Clorox’s stronger-than-expected Q4 2025 adjusted EPS of $2.87 and net sales of $1.99 billion on Jul. 31, shares fell nearly 2% the next day as investors focused on its weak FY2026 outlook. The company guided for net sales to decline 6% - 10% and organic sales to drop 5% - 9%, largely due to the 7 pts - 8 pts reversal of incremental ERP shipments that had boosted fiscal 2025 results. Additionally, EPS is projected to fall sharply to $5.60 - $5.95, with adjusted EPS of $5.95 - $6.30 still reflecting an 18% - 23% decline.

In addition, rival Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) has shown a less pronounced dip than CLX stock. CHD stock has dipped 16.3% on a YTD basis and 15.2% over the past 52 weeks.

Due to the stock’s weak performance, analysts are cautious about its prospects. CLX stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” from the 19 analysts in coverage, and the mean price target of $132.44 is a premium of 9.6% to current levels. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.