Clorox's Brand Investments Are Up: Will They Translate to Growth?

Core Insights - Clorox Company is increasing brand investments to enhance demand creation strategies, including higher trade spending and advertising, despite ERP-related disruptions [1][4] - The company is focused on innovation across major brands, with new product launches planned for the second half of fiscal 2026 [2] - Clorox's net sales fell 19% year over year to $1.43 billion in Q1 FY26, with organic sales decreasing 17% due to lower shipments related to the ERP transition [3][8] - For fiscal 2026, Clorox projects a net sales decline of 6-10% and organic sales to fall 5-9%, reflecting ongoing short-term pressures [3][8] - The company maintains advertising and promotional spending at approximately 11% of net sales to support long-term brand growth [4][8] Financial Performance - Clorox's shares have decreased by 16.4% over the past six months, compared to an industry decline of 11.9% [5] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for Clorox is 16.35, which is lower than the industry average of 17.63 [7] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a 24% year-over-year decline in Clorox's fiscal 2026 earnings, but a projected rise of 15.8% in fiscal 2027 earnings [9]