PowerRatings Stock Spotlight: The Clorox Company

I would venture a guess that every household in the United States has a bottle of Clorox bleach in the laundry room or kitchen.

It's one of those ubiquitous products whose trade name is so well constructed that it has seeped into popular culture as a substitution for the actual substances name. Like Aspirin or Kleenex, Clorox has practically replaced the word bleach in the common vernacular.

As you know, I am a strong proponent of Peter Lynch's old adage, "Invest in items you are familiar with" and the Clorox Company (CLX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) fits this criteria in spades, let's take a closer look at this intriguing company that's much more than most people think.

I was surprised to find out that the Clorox Company is much more than their most famous product. Not only does Clorox make Clorox and other cleaning products, they also make many other household foods and items. Many things I was truly shocked to find out. Clorox makes such brand name products as Armor All, Hidden Valley and KC Masterpiece sauces and seasonings, Kingsford charcoal, Brita Water Filters, Fresh Step Cat Litter and even Burt's Bee's lip balm products. Talk about having a firm grasp on popular and needed household products!

The company started in 1913 with 5 entrepreneurs each investing $100.00 each. They soon decided on an unusual yet highly effective marketing strategy of giving away 3 bottles of Clorox bleach for everyone that was sold by retailers. Clorox was so successful that it attracted the attention of giant Procter & Gamble (PG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) who purchased the company in the late 1950's. However, the Federal Trade Commission immediately filed suit claiming "monopoly". It took 10 years of difficult litigation but in the end, the FTC prevailed forcing Proctor & Gamble to give Clorox back its autonomy.

In the lat 1960's, Clorox began to diversify into the multi-product line company we know today. Clorox has earned a 6 Long Term PowerRating. It is currently among the highest rated stocks in the S&P 500 index.

For those of you unfamiliar with our Long Term PowerRating system, here is a brief overview: PowerRatings are a statistically based stock picking tool based on 12 years of extensive studies across most market conditions. Long term investors should seek to build portfolios made up of top rated stocks and avoid those with the low ranks of 1or 2. These low rated stocks have proven to simply be too volatile, therefore risky to be part of your prudent, conservative long term holdings.

Clorox just announced its fiscal first quarter results. Sales were up 12% and 4% volume growth was recorded. The CEO Don Knauss gave very strong future guidance and provided uplifting words when commenting on the company. Technically, Clorox has been in a steep up trend since October 27th. It is trading above both its 50 and 200-day simple moving averages and is toying with new highs. Clorox definitely fits the criteria of a company long term investors should consider for their portfolio.

Learn what you need to know as an active investor looking to invest in companies with a history of financial strength and a track record for growth. Click the link above or call us at 888-484-8220 extension 1 to get your copy of the "5 Secrets to Successful Stock Investing" today!

David Goodboy is Vice President of Marketing for a New York City based multi-strategy fund.