Oct 30 (Reuters) - Clorox raised its annual

profit forecast after beating quarterly results on Wednesday,

betting on robust demand for its cleaning and homecare products,

after lapping the impact from a cyberattack last year.

The bleach maker's first-quarter sales surged as its efforts

of introducing new and improved products through increased

advertising investments across categories helped in attracting

value-seeking consumers.

The Pine-Sol maker's volumes jumped after increased

promotions further strengthened sales after declining for two

consecutive quarters.

The company's net sales rose 38% in the health and wellness

business, which contributes 35% to total revenue, while the

segment's volumes were up 38 percentage points.

With waning impact from supply chain disruptions caused by

the cyberattack, Clorox's margins were bolstered by higher

volumes and cost-saving benefits.

"We saw consumption slowing down at the end of last fiscal

year," CFO Kevin Jacobsen told Reuters, adding that the company

expects consumers to remain under pressure this year.

Its quarterly gross margin expanded 740 basis points to

45.8%.

While Clorox and Colgate-Palmolive ( CL ) reported an uptick

in sales volumes, Kimberly-Clark ( KMB ) was hit by consumers

swapping its pricey goods for cheaper alternatives.

The company's revenue rose 27% to $1.76 billion in the

quarter ended Sept. 30, beating estimates of an 18.8% increase

to $1.65 billion.

On an adjusted basis, it earned $1.86 per share, compared

with analysts' estimate of $1.39 per share, as per data compiled

by LSEG.

For fiscal 2025, the company expects earnings per share to

be between $6.65 and $6.90, compared with its prior forecast

range of $6.55 to $6.80.