Clorox Q3 Earnings & Sales Miss Estimates, Margin Expands, Stock Down

Core Insights - Clorox Company reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 results with both revenue and earnings missing Zacks Consensus Estimates and declining year-over-year [1][4] - The results reflect ongoing economic uncertainty affecting consumer shopping habits and overall sales, yet the company maintained strong fundamentals by holding market share and expanding profit margins [2][3] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings were $1.45 per share, missing the estimate of $1.57 and down 15% from $1.71 in the same quarter last year [4] - Net sales were $1.67 billion, an 8% decline from the previous year, missing the consensus of $1.71 billion; organic sales decreased by 2% due to an unfavorable price mix [4][5] Segment Analysis - Health and Wellness segment sales increased by 3% year-over-year to $630 million, driven by a 7-point increase in volume, despite a 4-point unfavorable price mix [6] - Household segment sales fell 11% to $469 million, primarily due to a 9-point decrease in volume and a 2-point unfavorable price mix [7] - Lifestyle segment sales decreased by 3% to $306 million, attributed to a 2-point decrease in volume and a 1% unfavorable price mix [8] - International segment sales declined 15% to $263 million; however, organic sales grew by 2% when excluding the impact of Argentina and foreign exchange rates [9] Margin and Cost Management - Gross margin expanded by 240 basis points year-over-year to 44.6%, marking the 10th consecutive quarter of margin expansion, driven by cost-saving initiatives and divestitures [5][3] - The company is investing $560-$580 million over five years to upgrade technology and operations, with 70% of this amount expected to be recorded as incremental operating costs [12] Guidance and Outlook - Clorox updated its FY25 outlook, expecting net sales to decline 1% to flat, reflecting weaker consumer demand and impacts from divestitures [14] - Organic sales are anticipated to increase by 4-5%, down from a previous estimate of 4-7%, with a negative impact from the ERP system transition [14][17] - The gross margin is expected to expand by 150 basis points, driven by margin management efforts, despite cost inflation and higher promotional expenses [15] Earnings Projections - The company projects a GAAP EPS of $5.73-$6.13, indicating a year-over-year increase of 155-172% [16] - Adjusted EPS is expected to be $6.95-$7.35, reflecting a 13-19% year-over-year increase [17]