Church & Dwight Stock: Is CHD Underperforming the Consumer Defensive Sector?

Core Insights - Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) has a market capitalization of $22.2 billion and is a leading player in the household, personal care, and specialty products sectors, known for brands like ARM & HAMMER and Trojan [1][2] - The company operates across various segments including domestic, international, and specialty products, serving consumers through retail, e-commerce, and industrial distribution channels [2] Stock Performance - CHD shares have decreased by 21.7% from their 52-week high of $116.46 and have fallen over 6% in the past three months, underperforming the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP), which declined by 1.9% during the same period [3][4] - Year-to-date, CHD stock is down 12.9%, while XLP has returned 1%. Over the past 52 weeks, CHD shares have decreased by 12.3%, compared to XLP's 5.4% drop [4] - The stock has been trading mostly below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since early April [4] Recent Financial Performance - On August 1, CHD reported stronger-than-expected Q2 2025 results, with adjusted EPS of $0.94 and revenues of $1.51 billion, driven by strong Consumer International sales and e-commerce, which accounted for 23% of consumer sales [5] Competitive Landscape - Rival The Clorox Company (CLX) has underperformed CHD, with CLX stock down 24.4% year-to-date and 26.1% over the past 52 weeks [6] - Despite CHD's recent underperformance, analysts maintain a moderately optimistic outlook, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a mean price target of $101.94, representing an 11.7% premium to current levels [6]