The Clorox Company research snapshot
CLX AI stock analysis currently reads The Clorox Company as a defensive consumer staples franchise with recognizable brands, a newly raised dividend of $1.25 per quarter, and still-weak near-term momentum. The July 31, 2026 close of $95.53 leaves CLX trading at about 15.48x trailing earnings and 30.4x trailing free cash flow while management still guides fiscal 2026 sales down about 6% and adjusted EPS to $5.45 to $5.65 after ERP inventory timing, slower market share recovery, GOJO integration costs, and a board-led CEO search. The CLX AI stock forecast therefore uses scenario ranges, not a precise price prediction, and treats sales stabilization, gross margin repair, GOJO synergy evidence, leverage reduction, dividend coverage, and the CEO handoff as the variables that matter most.
Current price
$95.53
Market cap
$11.55 billion verified market cap
AI score
57 / 100
Rating
Defensive brand portfolio facing a sales decline year, margin pressure, CEO search, and elevated leverage
Trend status
Below the 200-day moving average with a higher dividend yield after the July dividend raise
Data cutoff (updated monthly)
August 4, 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, and Chris Hyder now runs all business units as chief operating officer, so the current test is execution continuity, market share repair, GOJO integration, and leverage control through a transition. | Medium |
| Financial trend | Fiscal 2025 net sales were $7.104 billion and net income to common was $810 million, but the April 2026 outlook still called for fiscal 2026 net sales down about 6%, adjusted EPS of $5.45 to $5.65, and gross margin down 250 to 300 basis points. | High |
| Valuation | At $95.53, CLX screens near 15.48x trailing EPS, 16.46x forward EPS, 1.71x sales, 30.4x trailing free cash flow, and a 5.19% dividend yield, with the annual dividend now set to about $5.00 after the raise to $1.25 per quarter. | High |
| Technical trend | The stock is just below the 50-day moving average near $95.44 and below the 200-day moving average near $104.24, so the chart remains in a longer downtrend with a short-term base near the lower end of its 52-week range. | Medium |
| Risk level | Main risks are weak volumes, retailer inventory swings, ERP timing, 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, margin repair, 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 management guidance points to a fiscal 2026 earnings decline even as trailing earnings look stronger. Using the $95.53 price reference, trailing EPS of $6.17, the $5.45 to $5.65 fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook, and a three-year model, the mechanical range points to about $58 in a bear case, $93 in a base case, and $139 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 $140 before dividends
More likely if CLX regains market share after the ERP transition, GOJO adds profitable growth, adjusted EPS recovers above the fiscal 2026 outlook, the dividend stays well covered, and investors value the company closer to a high-teens earnings multiple.
$80 to $95 before dividends
More likely if sales stabilize near the guided decline, margins and cash conversion improve, 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 stays too thin for the dividend profile.
CLX AI technical analysis
CLX AI technical analysis is cautious as of the August 2, 2026 data cutoff, using the July 31, 2026 close. StockAnalysis showed a close of $95.53, a 50-day moving average near $95.44, a 200-day moving average near $104.24, RSI near 48.14, and 20-day average volume near 2.35 million shares. That setup keeps CLX below its longer-term trend with support built in the low-to-mid $90s.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $95.53 | StockAnalysis listed the July 31, 2026 close at $95.53, down 1.24% on the day, with after-hours trading near $95.63. |
| Immediate support | $93 to $95 | This zone brackets the 50-day moving average near $95.44 and the day range low near $94.20, and it is the first level that needs to hold for the base to stay intact. |
| Deeper support | $88 to $90 | A break below this area would show that the low end of the 52-week range near $84.70 is being tested again and would refocus attention on fundamental execution risk. |
| Near resistance | $102 to $106 | The average analyst price target near $102.35 and the 200-day moving average near $104.24 form the first major resistance zone bulls need to reclaim. |
| Upper resistance | $120 to $129 | This range approaches the 52-week high near $128.90 and would likely require stronger guidance, gross margin repair, or clear GOJO integration progress. |
| Moving averages | 50-day near $95.44, 200-day near $104.24 | Trading below both averages keeps the broader trend cautious until the stock can reclaim the 200-day reference. |
| Momentum | RSI near 48.14 | Momentum is neutral, not oversold and not overbought, which means the chart does not yet confirm a durable reversal. |
| Volume | 20-day average near 2.35 million shares | Volume confirmation matters around the August 3 earnings release, CEO search updates, margin commentary, and GOJO news. |
| Volatility | Watch August 3, 2026 Q4 and full-year results | The next earnings release, CEO search news, fiscal 2027 outlook, and GOJO commentary are likely volatility catalysts. |
| Invalidation | Close below $93, then below $88 | A sustained close below the 50-day reference weakens the base. A move below $88 would suggest the market is discounting a deeper execution or margin 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 sales recovery, gross margin, GOJO integration, debt, dividend coverage, CEO succession, and consumer staples demand.
Watch for CLX to hold above the $93 to $95 support zone and then reclaim $102 to $106 with improved guidance quality, stable gross margin, and evidence that market share losses are reversing.
A failed reclaim followed by a close below $93 should reduce trend confidence, especially if the August earnings call 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 with a guided earnings decline, 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 energy 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 company now also faces a board-led CEO search, with Chris Hyder as chief operating officer and Nina Barton as chief growth and strategy officer under a simplified structure, so the question is whether the handoff protects 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 $95.53, the stock prices in partial recovery but not a full return to prior highs. Margin of safety improves if the fiscal 2026 decline proves temporary, free cash flow recovers, the dividend stays covered after the raise, 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 | $95.53 close on July 31, 2026, and $95.63 after-hours reference | StockAnalysis CLX statistics | August 2, 2026 |
| Market capitalization verification | $11.55 billion reported and $11.55 billion calculated from $95.53 x 120.92 million shares, a 0.01% deviation | Pineify financial_rigor.py and StockAnalysis CLX statistics | August 2, 2026 |
| Shares outstanding | 120.92 million shares outstanding, down 1.60% year over year | StockAnalysis CLX statistics | August 2, 2026 |
| FY2025 revenue and net income | $7.104 billion net sales and $810 million net income to common for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 | StockAnalysis CLX financials and Clorox FY25 annual report | August 2, 2026 |
| Q3 FY2026 results | Net sales of $1.67 billion, flat year over year, gross margin down 140 basis points to 43.2%, diluted EPS of $1.54, and adjusted EPS of $1.64 | Clorox Q3 FY2026 results release | August 2, 2026 |
| FY2026 guidance update | Net sales expected down about 6%, organic sales down about 9%, gross margin down 250 to 300 basis points, diluted EPS of $4.78 to $4.98, and adjusted EPS of $5.45 to $5.65 | Clorox Q3 FY2026 results release | August 2, 2026 |
| Cash and debt | $1.187 billion cash at March 31, 2026, and $4.486 billion total debt on StockAnalysis, giving net cash of negative $3.299 billion | StockAnalysis CLX balance sheet | August 2, 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 | August 2, 2026 |
| Dividend increase | Quarterly dividend raised from $1.24 to $1.25 per share on July 31, 2026, payable August 28, 2026, taking the annualized rate to about $5.00 | Clorox dividend increase release | August 2, 2026 |
| GOJO acquisition | Clorox completed the GOJO acquisition on April 1, 2026, adding Purell and professional hygiene solutions | Clorox GOJO completion release | August 2, 2026 |
| CEO transition | Linda Rendle will step down for health reasons after a successor is found, remaining chair and CEO during the search, with the next earnings release set for August 3, 2026 | Clorox CEO transition update | August 2, 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 August 2, 2026, and can be wrong if fundamentals, technicals, management, consumer demand, financing costs, or market conditions change.
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