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Will Strategic Initiatives and Pricing Strength Boost Clorox's Growth?
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Key Takeaways
Clorox's pricing, innovation and portfolio changes are supporting growth amid market pressures.
Clorox completed its digital transformation, with ERP expected to improve planning and reduce inventory.
GOJO should boost fiscal 2027 sales, while productivity benefits are expected to build into fiscal 2028.
The Clorox Company’s (CLX - Free Report) holistic margin-management efforts, constant product innovations and IGNITE strategy are progressing well. Clorox is effectively capitalizing on its pricing strength to support growth. The company is benefiting from ongoing efforts to improve efficiency across manufacturing and logistics, as well as from portfolio changes.
CLX’s strategic initiatives, innovation efforts and selective pricing actions are expected to support growth, although it continues to face pressure from inflation, weak consumer demand and intense competition. Clorox has completed its five-year digital transformation, including its U.S. ERP implementation, which is expected to improve demand planning, reduce inventory and increase automation.
Clorox is focused on product innovation, packaging improvements, price-pack architecture and selective pricing adjustments to strengthen value perception and recover market share. The company has increased innovation spending and plans to continue investing in brands such as Clorox, Glad, Hidden Valley and Fresh Step. These efforts, combined with stronger retail execution and digital capabilities, could help improve volumes and sales over time.
However, Clorox’s pricing power faces limitations as consumers remain value-conscious and promotional activity increases. Higher commodity, manufacturing and logistics costs are expected to keep gross margins under pressure. Fiscal 2027 organic sales growth is expected at 3.5-4.5%, but more than 3.5 percentage points will come from lapping the prior-year ERP-related inventory drawdown.
Nevertheless, management expects the productivity benefits to begin emerging in late fiscal 2027 and build into fiscal 2028. The acquisition of GOJO also strengthens Clorox’s health and hygiene portfolio and is expected to contribute significantly to fiscal 2027 sales growth while supporting adjusted earnings. The strategic initiatives and pricing actions can support growth; sustained improvement will depend on Clorox’s ability to balance pricing with consumer demand while realizing productivity savings.
CLX’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Clorox have lost 7.1% in the past three months against the industry’s growth of 0.6%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CLX trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 14.72X compared with the industry’s average of 18.44X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CLX’s fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 6% and 8.9%, respectively. The company’s EPS estimate for fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 has moved south in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Clorox stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Chefs' Warehouse’s current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 10.6% and 33.7%, respectively, from the prior-year levels. CHEF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 30.4%, on average.
United Natural Foods (UNFI - Free Report) , which is the leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty food and non-food products, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for United Natural Foods’ current financial-year sales indicates a rise of 1.3% from the prior-year level. UNFI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.9%, on average.
Medifast, Inc. (MED - Free Report) , which is a leading manufacturer and distributor of clinically-proven healthy living products and programs, currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. MED missed the average earnings surprise by a sharp margin in the trailing four quarters.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Medifast’s current financial-year sales indicates a decline of 27.3% from the year-ago number.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
Will Strategic Initiatives and Pricing Strength Boost Clorox's Growth?
Key Takeaways
The Clorox Company’s (CLX - Free Report) holistic margin-management efforts, constant product innovations and IGNITE strategy are progressing well. Clorox is effectively capitalizing on its pricing strength to support growth. The company is benefiting from ongoing efforts to improve efficiency across manufacturing and logistics, as well as from portfolio changes.
CLX’s strategic initiatives, innovation efforts and selective pricing actions are expected to support growth, although it continues to face pressure from inflation, weak consumer demand and intense competition. Clorox has completed its five-year digital transformation, including its U.S. ERP implementation, which is expected to improve demand planning, reduce inventory and increase automation.
Clorox is focused on product innovation, packaging improvements, price-pack architecture and selective pricing adjustments to strengthen value perception and recover market share. The company has increased innovation spending and plans to continue investing in brands such as Clorox, Glad, Hidden Valley and Fresh Step. These efforts, combined with stronger retail execution and digital capabilities, could help improve volumes and sales over time.
However, Clorox’s pricing power faces limitations as consumers remain value-conscious and promotional activity increases. Higher commodity, manufacturing and logistics costs are expected to keep gross margins under pressure. Fiscal 2027 organic sales growth is expected at 3.5-4.5%, but more than 3.5 percentage points will come from lapping the prior-year ERP-related inventory drawdown.
Nevertheless, management expects the productivity benefits to begin emerging in late fiscal 2027 and build into fiscal 2028. The acquisition of GOJO also strengthens Clorox’s health and hygiene portfolio and is expected to contribute significantly to fiscal 2027 sales growth while supporting adjusted earnings. The strategic initiatives and pricing actions can support growth; sustained improvement will depend on Clorox’s ability to balance pricing with consumer demand while realizing productivity savings.
CLX’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Clorox have lost 7.1% in the past three months against the industry’s growth of 0.6%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CLX trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 14.72X compared with the industry’s average of 18.44X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CLX’s fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 6% and 8.9%, respectively. The company’s EPS estimate for fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028 has moved south in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Clorox stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Stocks to Consider in the Consumer Staples Space
The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (CHEF - Free Report) distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East and Canada. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Chefs' Warehouse’s current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 10.6% and 33.7%, respectively, from the prior-year levels. CHEF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 30.4%, on average.
United Natural Foods (UNFI - Free Report) , which is the leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty food and non-food products, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for United Natural Foods’ current financial-year sales indicates a rise of 1.3% from the prior-year level. UNFI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.9%, on average.
Medifast, Inc. (MED - Free Report) , which is a leading manufacturer and distributor of clinically-proven healthy living products and programs, currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. MED missed the average earnings surprise by a sharp margin in the trailing four quarters.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Medifast’s current financial-year sales indicates a decline of 27.3% from the year-ago number.