Has Clorox Become A Value Stock?

Core Insights - Clorox (CLX) has experienced a significant decline in share price over the past year due to post-pandemic normalization, rising input costs, and the impact of a cyberattack, shifting its perception from a defensive growth stock to a value stock with stable fundamentals and strong brands [2][3] Financial Performance - Clorox's stock is currently trading approximately 33% lower than its one-year peak and at a price-to-sales multiple below the average of the past three years, indicating a modest valuation despite solid margins [3][6] - Revenue growth has been limited, with a 0.2% increase over the last twelve months and a 0.04% increase over the last three-year average, but this reflects a margin and value play [6] - The company has maintained an average operating margin of approximately 12.7% over the past three years, successfully avoiding significant margin collapse in the last twelve months [6] Market Position - Clorox operates in various segments, offering consumer and professional products worldwide, primarily distributed through mass retailers, grocery stores, warehouse clubs, dollar shops, and hardware centers [4] - Despite its promising fundamentals, Clorox's stock has a price-to-earnings multiple of 16.6, suggesting a modest valuation relative to its performance [6] Historical Performance and Risks - Clorox has faced substantial declines in the past, including a drop of over 54% during the Dot-Com crash and nearly 44% amid the inflation shock in 2022, indicating that even strong companies can experience setbacks during market shifts [8]