CLX vs. EL: Clorox vs. Estée Lauder Stock Comparison
How do Clorox (CLX) and Estée Lauder (EL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Clorox (CLX) and Estée Lauder (EL) both fall under the Household & Personal Products industry group, but CLX is classified in Household Products while EL is classified in Personal Care Products.
| Profile Item | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The Clorox Company | The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| GICS Industry Group | Household & Personal Products | Household & Personal Products |
| GICS Industry | Household Products | Personal Care Products |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Household Products | Personal Care Products |
| Market Capitalization | 12.09 billion USD | 39.88 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 1.37% | 31.77% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -4.10% | 1.46% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -5.63% | -18.72% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 32.57% | 48.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.53 | 1.21 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -49.09% | -85.82% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.88M | 3.49M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.09 | 0.57 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.12 | 0.81 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Clorox (CLX) at 534.36% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Estée Lauder (EL) at 9.28%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
534.36%
- CLX
- 534.36%
- Max
- 42.18%
- Q3
- 31.87%
- Median
- 17.80%
- Q1
- 9.28%
- Min
- -14.64%
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
9.28%
- Max
- 42.18%
- Q3
- 31.87%
- Median
- 17.80%
- EL
- 9.28%
- Q1
- 9.28%
- Min
- -14.64%
Net Margin (TTM)
Clorox (CLX) at 9.41% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Estée Lauder (EL) at 2.41% retains only a bottom-quartile share.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
9.41%
- Max
- 23.47%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- CLX
- 9.41%
- Median
- 8.50%
- Q1
- 3.08%
- Min
- -9.74%
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
2.41%
- Max
- 23.47%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- Median
- 8.50%
- Q1
- 3.08%
- EL
- 2.41%
- Min
- -9.74%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Clorox (CLX) at 13.54% and Estée Lauder (EL) at 11.01% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
13.54%
- Max
- 23.94%
- Q3
- 17.03%
- CLX
- 13.54%
- Median
- 13.15%
- Q1
- 10.58%
- Min
- 1.87%
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
11.01%
- Max
- 23.94%
- Q3
- 17.03%
- Median
- 13.15%
- EL
- 11.01%
- Q1
- 10.58%
- Min
- 1.87%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 534.36% | 9.28% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.62% | 5.77% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.41% | 2.41% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 13.54% | 11.01% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 41.94% | 76.03% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Estée Lauder (EL) at 5.05% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Clorox (CLX) at -5.41% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Neither Clorox (CLX) nor Estée Lauder (EL) reports a EPS growth value for this period, so a direct comparison isn't possible.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -5.41% | 5.05% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -3.11% | -1.84% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 58.85% | -43.62% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Estée Lauder (EL) at 1.25 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Clorox (CLX) at 0.65 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CLX.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
0.65
- Max
- 4.26
- Q3
- 2.82
- Median
- 1.84
- Q1
- 0.92
- CLX
- 0.65
- Min
- 0.65
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
1.25
- Max
- 4.26
- Q3
- 2.82
- Median
- 1.84
- EL
- 1.25
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.65
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but CLX is more stretched: Estée Lauder (EL) at 2.28 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and Clorox (CLX) at 46.23 is above its industry benchmark range.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
46.23
- CLX
- 46.23
- Max
- 2.30
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 0.81
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.01
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
2.28
- Max
- 2.30
- EL
- 2.28
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 0.81
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.01
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.65 | 1.25 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 46.23 | 2.28 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 4.17 | 2.31 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Clorox (CLX) at 5.00% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Estée Lauder (EL) at 1.30% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, CLX the richer one.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
5.00%
- CLX
- 5.00%
- Max
- 5.00%
- Q3
- 2.47%
- Median
- 1.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
1.30%
- Max
- 5.00%
- Q3
- 2.47%
- EL
- 1.30%
- Median
- 1.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Estée Lauder (EL) reports payout ratio above 100% at 140.00%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Clorox (CLX) reports 89.39%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
89.39%
- Max
- 140.00%
- CLX
- 89.39%
- Q3
- 73.75%
- Median
- 46.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
140.00%
- EL
- 140.00%
- Max
- 140.00%
- Q3
- 73.75%
- Median
- 46.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 5.00% | 1.30% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 89.39% | 140.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Clorox (CLX) at 17.98 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Estée Lauder (EL) at 110.06 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for EL’s trailing earnings.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
17.98
- Max
- 37.57
- Q3
- 33.54
- Median
- 20.03
- CLX
- 17.98
- Q1
- 15.76
- Min
- 6.45
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
110.06
- EL
- 110.06
- Max
- 37.57
- Q3
- 33.54
- Median
- 20.03
- Q1
- 15.76
- Min
- 6.45
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Clorox (CLX) at 1.68 and Estée Lauder (EL) at 2.61 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
1.68
- Max
- 4.36
- Q3
- 3.57
- CLX
- 1.68
- Median
- 1.68
- Q1
- 0.76
- Min
- 0.30
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
2.61
- Max
- 4.36
- Q3
- 3.57
- EL
- 2.61
- Median
- 1.68
- Q1
- 0.76
- Min
- 0.30
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Clorox (CLX) reports a negative P/B ratio of -310.43, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Estée Lauder (EL) reports 9.88, ranking against industry peers normally.
CLX
Household & Personal Products industry group
-310.43
- Max
- 12.30
- Q3
- 7.43
- Median
- 3.44
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- -3.91
- CLX
- -310.43
EL
Household & Personal Products industry group
9.88
- Max
- 12.30
- EL
- 9.88
- Q3
- 7.43
- Median
- 3.44
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- -3.91
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CLX | EL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 17.98 | 110.06 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.68 | 2.61 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -310.43 | 9.88 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.71% | 5.36% |