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CLX vs. KMB: Clorox vs. Kimberly-Clark Stock Comparison

How do Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) 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 Kimberly-Clark (KMB) are both classified in the Household Products sub-industry within the broader Household Products industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
Profile ItemCLXKMB
NameThe Clorox CompanyKimberly-Clark Corporation
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer StaplesConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupHousehold & Personal ProductsHousehold & Personal Products
GICS IndustryHousehold ProductsHousehold Products
GICS Sub-IndustryHousehold ProductsHousehold Products
Market Capitalization12.09 billion USD66.54 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateFebruary 21, 1973March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CLX
KMB
GSPC
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
Total Return (1Y)1.37%13.15%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-4.10%1.74%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-5.63%0.51%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CLX
KMB
GSPC
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)32.57%25.22%
Beta (5Y)0.530.24
Max Drawdown (5Y)-49.09%-34.06%
Avg. Volume (3M)2.88M4.78M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CLX and KMB are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.090.35
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.120.53

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Clorox (CLX) at 534.36% and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 78.38% turn shareholders’ equity into profit at rates above their industry benchmark ranges for ROE. That is a strong capital-efficiency signal, though leverage and the equity base still matter.

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%

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

78.38%

KMB
78.38%
Max
42.18%
Q3
31.87%
Median
17.80%
Q1
9.28%
Min
-14.64%
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their ROE against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 19.93% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Clorox (CLX) at 9.41%, which keeps about the industry-typical 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%

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

19.93%

Max
23.47%
KMB
19.93%
Q3
12.19%
Median
8.50%
Q1
3.08%
Min
-9.74%
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their net margin against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Clorox (CLX) at 13.54% and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 16.55% 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%

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

16.55%

Max
23.94%
Q3
17.03%
KMB
16.55%
Median
13.15%
Q1
10.58%
Min
1.87%
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their operating margin against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
ROE (TTM)534.36%78.38%
ROA (TTM)9.62%10.37%
Net Margin (TTM)9.41%19.93%
Operating Margin (TTM)13.54%16.55%
Gross Margin (TTM)41.94%37.31%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Clorox (CLX) at -5.41% and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at -2.13% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Kimberly-Clark (KMB) reports EPS growth of -19.60%, ranked against its industry; Clorox (CLX) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
Revenue Growth (YoY)-5.41%-2.13%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-3.11%-6.58%
EPS Growth (YoY)---19.60%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)58.85%1.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Clorox (CLX) at 0.65 and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 0.89 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

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

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

0.89

Max
4.26
Q3
2.82
Median
1.84
Q1
0.92
KMB
0.89
Min
0.65
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their current ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 2.12 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Clorox (CLX) at 46.23 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

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

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

2.12

Max
2.30
KMB
2.12
Q3
2.12
Median
0.81
Q1
0.50
Min
0.01
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.650.89
Debt / Equity (MRQ)46.232.12
Net Debt / EBITDA4.171.31

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Clorox (CLX) at 5.00% and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 4.62% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

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%

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

4.62%

Max
5.00%
KMB
4.62%
Q3
2.47%
Median
1.30%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Clorox (CLX) at 89.39% and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 97.33% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

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%

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

97.33%

Max
140.00%
KMB
97.33%
Q3
73.75%
Median
46.43%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
Dividend Yield (TTM)5.00%4.62%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)89.39%97.33%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Clorox (CLX) at 17.98 and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 20.69 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

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

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

20.69

Max
37.57
Q3
33.54
KMB
20.69
Median
20.03
Q1
15.76
Min
6.45
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Clorox (CLX) at 1.68 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 4.02 sits in the pricier quartile — KMB costs more per dollar of sales.

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

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

4.02

Max
4.36
KMB
4.02
Q3
3.57
Median
1.68
Q1
0.76
Min
0.30
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

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 Kimberly-Clark (KMB) reports 12.30, 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

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

12.30

KMB
12.30
Max
12.30
Q3
7.43
Median
3.44
Q1
1.30
Min
-3.91
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Clorox (CLX) vs. Kimberly-Clark (KMB): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Clorox (CLX) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB)
MetricCLXKMB
P/E Ratio (TTM)17.9820.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.684.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)-310.4312.30
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.71%2.41%