Here’s Why Clorox Stock Is at Top of S&P 500 Gainers Friday [Video]

Clorox (CLX) shares jumped Friday to become the top performer in the S&P 500 after the company known for its namesake bleach and disinfectants reported better-than-expected quarterly profits the day before. Expanding gross margins and cost-reduction efforts helped the provider of consumer and professional products achieve 9% bottom-line growth from the year-ago period.

For its fiscal fourth quarter of 2024, which ended on June 30, Clorox reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.82, exceeding the consensus forecast of $1.54. Although net sales of $1.9 billion fell slightly short of estimates calling for $1.97 billion, the results reflected the impact of Clorox’s divestment of its Argentina operations.

Clorox guided for higher full-year fiscal 2025 EPS in a range of $6.55 to $6.80, topping analysts’ projections.

A decrease in manufacturing, logistics, and commodity costs, as well as strategic cost-savings initiatives, helped Clorox expand its gross margin by 380 basis points year-over-year, despite an uptick …