To collect Clorox's next $1.25 dividend, you have to buy the shares no later than Tuesday, October 27, 2026. October 28 is both the ex-dividend date and the record date, so shares bought on October 28 or later do not get this payment. The dividend is paid on Friday, November 13, 2026. Clorox ($CLX) declared the dividend on September 23, 2026, payable to holders of record at the close of business on October 28, according to the company's announcement. If you read our article on whether Clorox is a Dividend Aristocrat and are now thinking about owning it for the income, this is the timing you need, and the traps around it.

The dates for this dividend, in order

The dividend dates match Financial Modeling Prep market data, October 15, 2026 close. Clorox has said it will post its first-quarter results and prepared remarks at 4:15 p.m. ET on November 2, with an analyst webcast at 5 p.m. ET, per its investor relations announcement.

What the ex-date and the record date each mean

The record date is the company's cutoff: whoever is on the shareholder register at the close of business that day gets paid. The ex-dividend date is the market's cutoff. The IRS's Publication 550 defines it as the first date following the declaration of a dividend on which the buyer of a stock is not entitled to receive the next dividend payment.

The two dates used to fall on different days. Getting onto the register requires that your trade has settled, and settlement used to take two business days, so the ex-date sat one business day before the record date. That changed when U.S. trading moved to one-day settlement. The SEC adopted the rule shortening the standard settlement cycle from T+2 to T+1 in February 2023, with a compliance date of May 28, 2024.

The New York Stock Exchange, where Clorox trades, amended its Rule 235 to match. In its 2024 filing with the SEC, the exchange deleted the words "the business day preceding" so that stocks now trade ex-dividend on the record date itself. A purchase on Tuesday, October 27 settles on Wednesday, October 28, just in time to be on the register. A purchase on October 28 settles on October 29, one day too late.

A worked example with 100 shares

All prices are from Financial Modeling Prep market data, October 15, 2026 close, when Clorox closed at $86.20.

• Cost of 100 shares: 100 x $86.20 = $8,620.
• Dividend received on November 13: 100 x $1.25 = $125, before any tax.
• Size of one dividend relative to the price: $1.25 / $86.20 = 1.45% of the share price.
• Annual rate: 4 x $1.25 = $5.00, a forward yield of $5.00 / $86.20 = 5.80%.

On the ex-date, the stock usually opens lower by roughly the amount of the dividend, because the shares no longer carry the right to that $1.25. If nothing else moved the price, the 100-share position would go from $8,620 to about $8,495, and you would be owed $125 in cash. Your total wealth is unchanged: $8,495 + $125 = $8,620. The dividend is a transfer from the company's cash to your account, not new money.

In practice the drop is hard to see. Clorox rose $1.23, or 1.45%, on October 15 alone, about the same size as the dividend. On any given ex-date, ordinary market movement can hide the adjustment or exaggerate it.

A common mistake: buying on the ex-date, and chasing "dividend capture"

The most frequent error is treating the ex-dividend date as the deadline to buy. It is the first day you are too late. If you buy Clorox on October 28, the seller keeps the $1.25, and you pay a price that already reflects its absence.

The second mistake is the "dividend capture" trade: buy the day before the ex-date, sell right after, and pocket the payment. The arithmetic above shows why this rarely works. You collect $125 on 100 shares, but the shares are worth about $125 less once they go ex-dividend. After trading costs, the price spread and taxes, the expected result is a small loss, and the real outcome depends on whatever the stock does that week. For Clorox this quarter there is an added risk: the November 2 earnings report arrives five days after the ex-date, so a short-term holder is exposed to whatever that report shows.

The tax wrinkle: the 61-day holding rule

Qualified dividends are taxed at lower rates than ordinary income, but only if you meet a holding period. In the IRS's words in Publication 550, you must have held the stock for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins 60 days before the ex-dividend date. When counting, the IRS says to include the day you disposed of the stock but not the day you acquired it.

For this Clorox dividend, with an October 28 ex-date, the 121-day window runs from August 29, 2026 through December 27, 2026. Someone who buys on October 27 starts counting on October 28 and reaches day 61 on December 27. That is a Sunday, so in practice the shares would need to be held into the week of December 28 for the $125 to count as qualified. Sell earlier and the payment is reported as an ordinary dividend. Check your own situation with a tax professional; this is general information, not tax advice.

A short checklist before the Clorox ex-date

1. Place any buy order no later than the close on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
2. Do not treat October 28 as a deadline. It is the first day the shares trade without the dividend.
3. Expect the price to adjust by about $1.25 on October 28, around 1.45% at today's price.
4. Plan to hold past December 27, 2026 if you want qualified-dividend treatment.
5. Read the November 2 results before deciding whether to keep the position. The dividend is only as safe as the cash flow behind it.

That last point is the subject of our companion piece comparing Clorox's dividend coverage with P&G, Kimberly-Clark and Colgate. For broader context, see our coverage of Clorox's 2026 Dividend Aristocrat ranking, the Markets section and the Wall Street Conservative front page. This article is for information only and is not investment advice.

FAQ

What is the last day to buy Clorox stock and get the next dividend?

Tuesday, October 27, 2026. A purchase that day settles on October 28, the record date. Buying on October 28 or later does not qualify.

When will the Clorox dividend be paid?

Friday, November 13, 2026, at $1.25 per share, to shareholders of record on October 28, 2026.

Why are the ex-dividend date and the record date the same day?

Because U.S. stock trades now settle one business day after the trade (T+1), effective May 28, 2024. The NYSE changed its rule so stocks go ex-dividend on the record date.

Can I sell my Clorox shares on the ex-dividend date and still get paid?

Yes. If you owned the shares at the close on October 27, you are entitled to the dividend even if you sell on October 28. Selling that quickly, though, means the dividend will not count as qualified for tax purposes.