Forensic Analysis · Household & Personal Care Products · as of Nov 9, 2026

Clorox Co /De/ (CLX)

A forensic read on Clorox Co /De/ built from its complete SEC filings — financial-health screens, earnings quality, red flags and a price-aware rating. Reproducible math, not opinion.

B · Sound & dependable

Forensic grade

Grey Zone

Financial health

1.3

Distress distance

Clean

Earnings quality

Forensic signals

249.6%

ROE

0.2%

Revenue growth

This free snapshot doesn't read filing or proxy text, so the auditor-quality and governance checks that can lower a grade were not evaluated (auditor quality, say on pay, board independence, going concern). Those checks only ever lower a grade, so the full analysis can land below the grade above but never above it — treat it as the most favourable reading, not the settled one.

Clorox Co /De/ earns a B (Sound & dependable) forensic quality grade, and its balance-sheet distress test reads 1.3, placing it in the Grey zone. 2 forensic signals were flagged in its latest SEC filings, led by shareholder returns.

What the filings flag

123% of FCF

FY2025

Shareholder returns. Returned $934M to shareholders (buybacks + dividends) in FY2025 — 123% of free cash flow. That is $173M (23%) more than free cash flow covered. The balance sheet covered it: cash fell $35M and total debt rose $3M over FY2025 — $38M of the $173M. The FY2025 cash-flow statement filed $61M from shares issued; net cash used in investing activities of $94M; net cash used in financing activities of $924M. A payout past free cash flow draws the balance sheet down in every year it continues, which isn't sustainable indefinitely. Counting the $81M of stock-based comp paid out in shares on top of that, the combined claim on free cash flow is 133%.

$306M

FY2023

Goodwill impairments. Took $306M of goodwill writedowns across 1 year (FY2023 ($306M)) — about 205% of net income over the span. A large writedown means an acquisition turned out worth far less than was paid — a real mark against M&A discipline.

Key fundamentals

Latest Revenue$7.10B

Revenue Growth YoY+0.2%

Revenue CAGR (2yr)-1.9%

Net Margin11.4%

Free Cash Flow$761.0M

Return on Equity249.6%

Debt / Equity7.74x

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Data from SEC EDGAR public filings · metrics as of Nov 9, 2026. Forensic signals flag probability, not certainty.

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