# The Clorox Company (CLX) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Consumer Defensive / Household Products. Price $93.06, market value $11.3 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 19.3×** (5-yr avg 49.0×, 3-yr avg 31.2×). The Clorox Company trades at 19.3× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 49.0×: cheap by its own standards. The Consumer Defensive median in the September 2026 study was 20.1×. Forward P/E is 14.8×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 1.7×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 1.7×.
- **Price / book: 125.1×**. The shares trade at 125.1× book value; most of the value is in earnings power and intangibles rather than the balance sheet.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 3.6%** (5-yr avg 4.1%). Free cash flow equals 3.6% of the market value, in line with its five-year average of 4.1%.
- **Earnings yield: 5.2%**. The inverse of the P/E: 5.2% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 42.3%**. The Clorox Company keeps 42.3% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells.
- **Net margin: 8.7%**. 8.7% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 652.2%**. A 652.2% return on equity is extremely high; check whether buybacks or debt have shrunk the equity base, which flatters the ratio.
- **Return on assets: 7.5%**. Each dollar of assets produces 7.5% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): -5.4%** (3-yr -3.1%/yr, 5-yr -1.8%/yr). Revenue fell 5.4% over the last year, against -1.8% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -26.2%** (3-yr 58.9%/yr, 5-yr -2.9%/yr). Earnings per share fell 26.2%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -24.2%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -24.2% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 61.33**. Debt is 61.33 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet that needs steady cash flow to service.
- **Current ratio: 0.66** (quick 0.38). Current liabilities exceed current assets, so the company depends on ongoing cash generation or refinancing to pay the next year's bills.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.00**. A Z-score of 2.00 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 4/9**. 4 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 5.37%** ($4.97 per share, trailing). The Clorox Company yields 5.37%, an income-level yield.
- **Payout ratio: 103%** (149% of free cash flow). The dividend exceeds earnings (103% payout), which is rarely sustainable outside REITs and one-off years.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 26**. 26 straight years of increases (the data covers 26 years, so this may be longer): a record very few companies hold.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 2.5%/yr** (1-yr 1.7%). The dividend has grown 2.5% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: hold** (17 analysts). 17 analysts cover The Clorox Company; the consensus is hold, with an average price target of $101.65 (+9% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): -22.8%** (YTD -5.5%, 3-mo -1.1%). The shares are down 22.8% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -27.8%** (9.9% above the low). Trading 28% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 30**. An RSI of 30 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.23** (volatility 31%). Beta of 0.23 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CLX · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/clx

Not investment advice.