10 Defensive Dividend Stocks To Buy During Market Sell Off

4. The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

The Clorox Company is the marketer and manufacturer of professional and consumer products. The company operates in the Household, International, Health and Wellness, and Lifestyle segments. A healthy 3.32% dividend yield means that, much like its products, the company’s stock is always in demand.

CLX stock tanked on its recent earnings report, which is what makes the opportunity so attractive. Since the cyber attack in 2024, Clorox has not only regained the market share it lost to competitors but has also improved its margins. This momentum will likely translate to a bull rally sooner rather than later.

2025 sales growth is expected to come in between 4% and 7%, with most of it coming in the later half of the year. 2026 is where the margin expansion should start to kick in according to the management. This is the result of productivity improvements as well as enhanced cost saving measures that the company plans to take. The CFO’s words reflected this factor on the earnings call:

We feel very confident in our ability to rebuild gross margins to 44% this year and expand EBIT margins by 25 to 50 basis points annually starting FY2026.