Clorox 3Q Earnings Up 53% On Price Hikes, Cost Drop

   DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Clorox Co.'s (CLX) fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 53% on price increases and lower costs, though sales volume declined.

Shares rose 2.2% to $57.26 as earnings handily topped analysts' expectations.

The company also raised its 2009 profit estimate to $3.70 to $3.80 a share from its August forecast of $3.60 to $3.75 a share, but cut the high end of its revenue-growth target to reflect higher currency losses.

Consumer-products makers like Clorox have been roiled by volatile commodities prices for the past few years. Chief Executive Don Knauss said at a conference in February that Clorox had succeeded in imposing additional price increases, despite pressure during the recession for retailers and consumers to cut costs.

Some analysts say that makers of household goods such as paper towels and detergent may see improved margins short term from lower commodities costs, but that heavily commoditized products where private-label offerings have made strong inroads aren't expected to hold onto the benefit over the longer term.

For the quarter ended March 31, the company known for its namesake bleach and other household goods reported earnings of $153 million, or $1.08 a share, up from $100 million, or 71 cents a share, a year earlier. The periods had restructurigng charges of 9 cents a share and 13 cents a share, respectively.

Revenue was flat at $1.35 billion. Excluding the effects of a stronger dollar and Clorox's exit from the food-bags business, it would have risen 4%.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were looking for earnings of 90 cents a share on revenue of $1.37 billion.

Gross margin rose to 45.3% from 39.8% on the price hike and cost declines, resulting in Clorox's first margin increase in seven quarters.

Volume fell 3%, primarily on price increases and the exit from the food-bag business. North American sales were flat as volume fell 4%, though earnings rose 24% on cost cutting. International sales fell 1% on the stronger dollar while volume increased 2%, mostly on shipments of laundry and home-care products to Latin America. Earnings rose 28% amid cost cutting.

-By Tess Stynes, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2473; [e-mail]