The Clorox Company research snapshot
CLX AI stock analysis currently reads The Clorox Company as a defensive consumer staples franchise with recognizable brands, a high dividend yield, and materially weaker near-term momentum after ERP-related inventory timing, slower market share recovery, GOJO integration, and a pending CEO transition. The July 8, 2026 setup is not a clean buy signal because CLX trades at about 15.79x TTM EPS and 31.02x TTM free cash flow while fiscal 2026 sales and adjusted EPS guidance remain under pressure. The CLX AI stock forecast therefore uses scenario ranges, not a precise price prediction, and treats market share recovery, gross margin, GOJO integration, debt reduction, dividend coverage, and the CEO search as the variables that matter most.
Current price
$97.41
Market cap
$11.78 billion verified market cap
AI score
58 / 100
Rating
Durable consumer staples brand portfolio with execution, leverage, and succession risk
Trend status
Recovering short term but still below the 200-day moving average
Data cutoff (updated weekly)
July 8, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | Clorox sells repeat-purchase household, wellness, pet, food, grilling, and international products under brands such as Clorox, Pine-Sol, Glad, Hidden Valley, Kingsford, Brita, Burt's Bees, Fresh Step, and Purell. | High |
| Moat | Brand trust, shelf space, retailer relationships, formula know-how, scale purchasing, and habit-based repeat buying support the moat, but private labels and category softness limit pricing power. | Medium-high |
| Management | Linda Rendle remains chair and CEO during a board-led search, so the current management test is execution continuity, market share repair, GOJO integration, and leverage control. | Medium |
| Financial trend | FY2025 net sales were $7.104 billion and net income to common was $810 million, but TTM revenue fell to $6.760 billion and Q3 FY2026 guidance still pointed to a sales decline for the year. | High |
| Valuation | At $97.41, CLX screens near 15.79x TTM EPS, 1.74x sales, 31.02x free cash flow per share, and a 5.09% dividend yield. | High |
| Technical trend | The stock is above the 50-day moving average near $93.88 but below the 200-day moving average near $106.53, so the chart shows a short-term bounce inside a longer downtrend. | Medium |
| Risk level | Main risks are weak volumes, retailer inventory swings, ERP execution, gross margin pressure, GOJO integration, higher debt, dividend coverage, and CEO succession. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | Descriptive confidence is high because source data is rich and cross-checked. Return confidence is lower because recovery depends on execution and category demand, not just brand quality. | High data confidence |
| Investment certainty | CLX is a recognizable franchise, but the current price needs visible sales stabilization, debt discipline, and a credible leadership handoff before certainty improves. | Medium-low |
CLX AI stock forecast
The CLX AI stock forecast is scenario-based because trailing earnings look better than current operating momentum. Using the $97.41 price reference, TTM EPS of $6.17, and the audited three-year model, the mechanical range points to about $58 in a bear case, $87 in a base case, and $125 in a bullish case before dividends. A higher outcome needs organic sales recovery, gross margin repair, GOJO synergy evidence, lower leverage, and a CEO transition that does not disrupt execution.
$115 to $130 before dividends
More likely if CLX regains market share after the ERP transition, GOJO adds profitable growth, adjusted EPS stabilizes above fiscal 2026 guidance, and investors value the company closer to a high-teens earnings multiple.
$80 to $95 before dividends
More likely if revenue remains soft but margins and cash conversion stabilize, the dividend remains covered, and the market values CLX around a mid-teens multiple on lower but steadier earnings.
$55 to $65 before dividends
More likely if consumer demand weakens, private-label competition rises, GOJO integration adds debt without enough growth, the CEO transition disrupts execution, and free cash flow remains too thin for the dividend profile.
CLX AI technical analysis
CLX AI technical analysis is mixed as of the July 8, 2026 data cutoff. StockAnalysis showed a July 7 close of $97.41, a 50-day moving average near $93.88, a 200-day moving average near $106.53, RSI near 54.86, and 20-day average volume near 2.38 million shares. That setup puts CLX in a short-term recovery attempt but still below longer-term resistance.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $97.41 | StockAnalysis listed the July 7, 2026 close at $97.41 and after-hours trading near $97.25. |
| Immediate support | $93 to $94 | This area brackets the 50-day moving average reference near $93.88 and is the first level that needs to hold for the bounce to stay intact. |
| Deeper support | $88 to $90 | A break below this zone would show that the post-selloff recovery is losing sponsorship and would refocus attention on fundamental execution risk. |
| Near resistance | $105 to $107 | The 200-day moving average near $106.53 is the first major resistance zone bulls need to reclaim. |
| Upper resistance | $120 to $132 | This range overlaps the area beneath the 52-week high near $132.03 and would likely require stronger guidance or clear GOJO integration progress. |
| Moving averages | 50-day near $93.88, 200-day near $106.53 | Trading above the 50-day average improves near-term tone, but staying below the 200-day average keeps the broader trend cautious. |
| Momentum | RSI near 54.86 | Momentum is neutral to modestly positive, not overbought and not enough by itself to confirm a durable trend reversal. |
| Volume | 20-day average near 2.38 million shares | Volume confirmation matters around earnings, CEO search updates, dividend decisions, and margin commentary. |
| Volatility | Watch July 30, 2026 estimated earnings | The next earnings update, CEO search news, GOJO commentary, and fiscal 2026 guidance changes are likely volatility catalysts. |
| Invalidation | Close below $93, then below $88 | A sustained close below the 50-day average weakens the bounce. A move below $88 would suggest the market is discounting a deeper execution problem. |
CLX AI trading strategy
The CLX AI trading strategy below is a rules-based research framework, not personal advice. It connects chart levels with market share recovery, gross margin, GOJO integration, debt, dividend coverage, CEO succession, and consumer staples demand.
Watch for CLX to hold above the 50-day average zone and then reclaim $105 to $107 with improved guidance quality, stable gross margin, and clear evidence that market share losses are reversing.
A failed reclaim followed by a close below $93 should reduce trend confidence, especially if management points to weaker categories, higher logistics costs, or slower GOJO integration.
If CLX retests the $88 to $90 area while cash flow and dividend coverage remain intact, compare the lower price with normalized branded-staples earnings power and debt reduction progress.
Do not treat a lower price as attractive if free cash flow stays below dividend needs, debt remains elevated, or the new CEO search creates strategic uncertainty.
Track organic sales, volume and price mix, Health and Wellness performance, household category share, gross margin, free cash flow, total debt, dividend payout, GOJO synergies, and CEO succession milestones.
Position sizing should reflect that CLX is a turnaround-leaning staples stock, not a guaranteed income vehicle.
Investment research summary
Customers pay Clorox because homes, workplaces, schools, healthcare sites, pet owners, and food consumers need trusted cleaning, hygiene, storage, grilling, water filtration, and wellness products. The business turns brand trust and repeat purchase behavior into shelf-space economics.
Clorox has brand equity, household penetration, retailer relationships, scale purchasing, product formulas, and now Purell institutional reach. The moat is real, but it is narrower when consumers trade down, retailers push private label, or product execution falls behind competitors.
The thesis fails if CLX cannot restore market share after ERP disruption, if GOJO adds leverage without enough growth, if raw material and logistics costs keep margins under pressure, or if the leadership transition slows decision-making.
Linda Rendle has led through pandemic demand spikes, inflation, a cyberattack, ERP transformation, portfolio pruning, and the GOJO deal. The current issue is not only past capability, but whether the board can execute a clean CEO handoff while protecting strategy.
Cleaning, disinfecting, pet care, food, grilling, and hygiene are durable needs rather than fast-growth technology markets. Long-term demand is stable, but pricing, private label, retailer concentration, and cost cycles decide whether the category creates attractive shareholder returns.
At $97.41, the stock prices in partial recovery but not a full return to prior highs. Margin of safety improves if earnings stop falling, free cash flow recovers, the dividend remains covered, and debt falls after GOJO financing.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLX quote reference | $97.41 close on July 7, 2026, and $97.25 after-hours reference | StockAnalysis CLX statistics | July 8, 2026 |
| Market capitalization verification | $11.78 billion reported and $11.78 billion calculated from $97.41 x 120.92 million shares | Pineify financial_rigor.py and StockAnalysis CLX statistics | July 8, 2026 |
| Shares outstanding | 120.92 million shares outstanding | StockAnalysis CLX statistics | July 8, 2026 |
| FY2025 revenue | $7.104 billion net sales, cross-checked against StockAnalysis | Clorox FY25 integrated annual report | July 8, 2026 |
| FY2025 net income to common | $810 million net income to common, cross-checked against StockAnalysis | Clorox FY25 integrated annual report | July 8, 2026 |
| Q3 FY2026 sales and margin | $1.67 billion net sales, flat year over year, with gross margin down 140 basis points to 43.2% | Clorox Q3 FY2026 results release | July 8, 2026 |
| FY2026 guidance update | Management expected GAAP net sales to decline about 6% and adjusted EPS of $5.45 to $5.65 after the Q3 update | Clorox Q3 FY2026 results release | July 8, 2026 |
| Cash and debt | $1.187 billion cash at March 31, 2026; debt scope differs between company filing debt of about $4.078 billion and StockAnalysis total debt of $4.486 billion | Clorox Q3 FY2026 release and StockAnalysis balance sheet | July 8, 2026 |
| TTM valuation inputs | TTM revenue $6.760 billion, EPS $6.17, free cash flow per share $3.14, dividend per share $4.96 | StockAnalysis CLX statistics | July 8, 2026 |
| GOJO acquisition | Clorox completed the GOJO acquisition on April 1, 2026, adding Purell and professional hygiene solutions | Clorox GOJO completion release | July 8, 2026 |
| CEO transition | Linda Rendle asked the board to begin a CEO search and said she will remain chair and CEO during the transition | Clorox CEO transition update | July 8, 2026 |
This CLX AI stock analysis is an informational research tool only and is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of future returns. Forecast scenarios are based on available public data as of July 8, 2026, and can be wrong if fundamentals, technicals, management, consumer demand, financing costs, or market conditions change.
