Clorox rises 4.3% after fiscal first-quarter results boost sales and profit

What happened

Clorox (CLX) rose 4.3% to $93.80 on November 3, 2026, after fiscal first-quarter results showed higher sales and profit driven by cost savings and contributions from its GOJO acquisition. The company reported earnings per share of $1.55 against $1.07 expected on November 2, 2026, a 44.9% beat. The stock opened 2.3% above the previous close and traded heavily, with volume 1.6 times its 20-day average, while the S&P 500 rose 0.4% on the day. Clorox’s market value stood at $10.64 billion.

How big was the move

The 4.3% gain was 2.3 times a typical daily move for the stock and outperformed its Consumer Defensive sector median by 6.0 percentage points. Trading volume at 1.6 times its 20-day average signalled stronger investor attention than in an ordinary session. Over the last five sessions the stock rose 7.4%, while the S&P 500 fell 2.0% across those sessions and the sector median fell 1.7% on the day. In the past five years the stock had 11 sessions with a gain of at least 4.3%; twenty trading days later the median result was a decline of 0.4%, and 5 of 11 were higher.

The technical picture

The stock sat 8.4% above its 20-day moving average and 6.6% above its 50-day moving average, but remained 5.8% below its 200-day average, reflecting recent strength inside a weaker longer-term trend. The 50-day average is below the 200-day average, a sign of a weak longer-term trend. The 14-day Relative Strength Index was 66, inside a neutral range. Over one month the stock rose 14.4%, yet it fell 11.4% over three months and fell 16.6% over one year, leaving it 27.2% behind the S&P 500 over the past year. Volatility stood at 31% annualized over 60 days, higher than 79% of its own readings over five years.

Fundamentals and valuation

For the four quarters through September 30, 2026, Clorox reported revenue of $7.20 billion, which grew 6.3% from a year earlier, and diluted earnings per share of $5.55, which fell 12.9% from a year earlier. Gross margin narrowed to 41.9% from 44.3% a year earlier, while operating margin improved to 25.1% from 14.9% a year earlier. Free-cash-flow margin was 6.3% and return on invested capital was 20.4%. The balance sheet shows net debt of 4.1 times EBITDA and the company reduced share count by 0.8% over one year.

Valuation measures placed the stock at 16.9 times trailing earnings and 16.5 times expected forward earnings, with a free-cash-flow yield of 4.3%. The price to trailing earnings is lower than 90% of its own readings over the past five years, compared with a five-year median of 43.8 times earnings. That compression contrasts with the company’s solid free-cash-flow margin and high return on invested capital, which investors will weigh when judging the stock’s appeal at current levels.

Earnings and analyst expectations

Clorox reported its last quarterly results on November 2, 2026, with EPS of $1.55 against $1.07 expected, a 44.9% beat and the third consecutive quarter of beating estimates. Management attributed the outperformance to higher sales, cost savings and contributions from the GOJO acquisition. Despite the strong start to fiscal 2027, Clorox trimmed its full-year adjusted EPS outlook toward the low end of its prior guidance range of $5.70 to $6.00, citing rising input costs and margin pressure. Management said it would rely on pricing, productivity and GOJO integration savings to meet targets. The typical two-day market reaction after recent reports has been a rise of 0.6%.

Analysts covering the stock number 29, with a consensus rating of Hold. Ten percent of analysts rate the stock Buy or Strong Buy. The consensus price target is $90.43, which is 3.6% below the closing price on November 3, 2026. PromtFinance scores rank the company Neutral on Value at 64 and Neutral on Quality at 55. Growth scored 44, Momentum 43, Revisions 22 and Stability 40, which helps explain the guarded analyst stance despite recent operational gains.

What to watch

• Next report: February 2, 2027
• Last report: November 2, 2026 — EPS $1.55 versus $1.07 expected, 44.9% above estimates
• Net debt of 4.1 times EBITDA
• Consensus price target $90.43, 3.6% below the closing price