What happened Clorox (NYSE: CLX) stock gained 10% through the first half of 2017, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The rally sent shares to new all-time highs by late June. CLX data by YCharts So what Investors cheered the company's fiscal second quarter report that in early February showed a 5% spike in sales growth thanks to record shipments of the company's disinfecting wipes. CEO Benno Dorer and his team took the opportunity to raise their full-year expansion outlook to between 3% and 4% from a previous range of 2% to 3%. The stock responded to the good news by rising over 14% that month. Image source: Getty Images. Clorox's next quarterly report kept the company right on track with its growth plans as a 7% spike in volume helped push overall sales higher by 4%. However, the consumer goods giant ramped up advertising spending and manufacturing costs, which drove gross margin down to 44% of sales from 45.3% a year ago. Now what Dorer and his team see the increased spending as simply a down payment on future growth. To that end, they are predicting expanding organic sales and adjusted profitability for the final quarter of their fiscal year. Consensus estimates are targeting 3% sales growth and a 15% spike in earnings to $1.49 per share when Clorox announces its fourth-quarter operating results on Aug. 3. Besides the expanding top and bottom-line figures, investors will be looking for healthy cash flow to support the Dividend Aristocrat's growing dividend payout. 10 stocks we like better than The Clorox CompanyWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and The Clorox Company wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of July 6, 2017Demitrios Kalogeropoulos has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.