Should You Forget Clorox Stock Near a 52-Week Low?

Shares of Clorox(NYSE: CLX), the maker of Clorox bleach and Purell hand sanitizer, trade about 9% above their 52-week low of $79.12 and down about 27% over the past year. A beaten-down household name with a high yield can look like a bargain. The problem is that the business is still under real pressure, which is why investors may want to stay away for now.

Organic sales, which exclude acquisitions, fell 8% in fiscal 2026, mostly because Clorox was lapping extra shipments to retailers in the previous year. Management expects organic growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in fiscal 2027, which is an improvement, but other problems may continue to weigh on the stock.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

The purchase of GOJO, the maker of Purell, should add about 9.5 points to fiscal 2027 net sales. But one-time deal costs will hit product manufacturing, and selling and administrative expenses will weigh on margins.

Meanwhile, total debt roughly doubled over the past year to about $5.1 billion. The dividend yields about 5.8%, but the company's payout ratio -- the amount of dividends paid relative to earnings -- is elevated at 103%, which isn't sustainable unless earnings grow.

CEO Linda Rendle expressed caution for the next year: "As we begin fiscal year 2027, we expect the operating environment to remain challenging, with continued cost volatility and a value-seeking consumer."

At about 15 times fiscal 2027 consensus earnings estimates, the stock isn't expensive. Still, given flat sales, GOJO integration costs, higher debt, and a stretched dividend payout ratio, investors may want to wait before buying shares.

Should you buy stock in Clorox right now?

Before you buy stock in Clorox, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Clorox wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflixmade this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $355,124!* Or when Nvidiamade this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,296,254!*

Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 901% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 210% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor , and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.