Clorox Raises Fiscal 2027 Input Cost Inflation Estimate to $240 Million

Clorox expects about $240 million in input cost inflation for fiscal 2027, $40 million above its estimate at the start of the year, adding pressure to a profit outlook already near the low end of its range.

Chief Financial Officer Luc Bellet gave the updated estimate during the Nov. 2 earnings call. “We now expect input cost inflation for the fiscal year to be about $240 million,” he said. The estimate is about 2.5 times Clorox’s historical annual average. Bellet identified commodities and transportation costs as the main drivers of the increase.

The company maintained its fiscal 2027 organic sales growth forecast of 3.5% to 4.5%. The year-over-year comparison is expected to contribute more than 3.5 percentage points to the 3.5% to 4.5% organic sales growth forecast.

That inventory drawdown affected the prior-year comparison, making it a significant part of the current growth forecast.

Clorox also held its adjusted earnings outlook at $5.70 to $6 per share but expects results near the low end of that range. Its full-year gross margin forecast is about 41.5%.

For the first quarter, which ended Sept. 30, net sales rose 33% to $1.91 billion and organic sales increased 18%. The company’s gross margin was 40.4%, down 130 basis points from a year earlier. Those results and the earnings range are detailed in earlier coverage of Clorox’s first-quarter results.

The higher cost estimate adds detail to Clorox’s outlook: the company kept its sales growth range, while raising its expected inflation burden and signaling that adjusted earnings are likely to land near the range’s lower end.