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These Flu Season Stocks Are on Sale
Flu season is one of those unavoidable annual realities: it shows up, it spreads fast, and it sends a meaningful portion of the country looking for prevention, relief, and treatment, often all at once.
For consumers, that means flu shots, sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, cough-and-cold aisles, and pharmacy runs. For investors, it often means something else: a recurring seasonal tailwind for a handful of well-positioned, high-visibility names.
And this year, the public-health backdrop is already getting intense.
The CDC's most recent surveillance update (Week 51, reflecting data through the week ending December 20, 2025) estimates at least 7.5 million flu illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths so far this season, with eight pediatric deaths reported to date.
That's not just noise. It's a real-time reminder that the "flu season trade" is not theoretical in 2026, it's happening.
The seasonal reality: flu is a recurring market catalyst
Flu season isn't pleasant, but it is predictable. And from a market standpoint, predictable catalysts can create repeatable opportunities, especially when investor attention rotates toward safety, consumer staples, and healthcare access.
Context matters here:
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For the 2023–2024 season, the CDC estimated 40 million illnesses, 470,000 hospitalizations, and 28,000 deaths.
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For 2024–2025, CDC summarized it as high severity, with preliminary estimates ranging as high as 43–73 million symptomatic illnesses and 38,000–99,000 deaths, depending on the final modeling range.
And now, for 2026, early-season numbers are already elevated, with the CDC recommending that everyone 6 months and older who hasn't yet been vaccinated get an annual flu shot.
When the data turns ugly, consumer behavior changes quickly:
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More trips to pharmacies for vaccinations and OTC products
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More spending on disinfecting and household cleaning
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More attention to basic preventative measures and "sick day" essentials
That's why flu season often becomes a quietly powerful catalyst for select stocks, particularly those that sit at the intersection of household staples + healthcare access.
Two names stand out right now because they combine that seasonal tailwind with something investors love in uncertain tape: income.
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Company: Clorox (SYM: CLX)
Yield, defensiveness, and a timely seasonal setup
One of the simplest flu-season beneficiaries is also one of the most straightforward to own: Clorox.
When illness is spreading, demand tends to rise for cleaning and disinfecting staples, exactly where Clorox has brand equity and shelf presence. This isn't a "get rich quick" story. It's a defensive positioning story with an embedded seasonal boost.
Right now, the setup is especially notable for income-focused investors:
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CLX is trading around $101 (roughly where it's been highlighted as oversold).
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Dividend yield is approximately 4.9%, driven by an annualized dividend around $4.96.
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The company most recently declared a $1.24 quarterly dividend, payable February 13, 2026, to shareholders of record January 28, 2026.
That yield matters. In a market where investors often "rent" momentum, a near-5% yield lets you get paid while you wait, especially if the stock is already washed out and the seasonal narrative is strengthening.
The seasonal angle
Historically, CLX has often shown strength as flu season approaches and activity rises (frequently clustering around the fall-to-winter window). There have been multiple years where CLX moved higher during the flu-season build.
This year, the additional ingredient is positioning: if shares are already depressed, it can take less incremental buying to move the stock. That's exactly how "on sale" seasonal trades tend to work. Bad sentiment sets the table, and a recurring catalyst supplies the spark.
What to watch
CLX isn't risk-free. If costs rise, volumes soften, or the market rotates aggressively out of staples, you can still see downside. But if you're evaluating a flu-season basket, CLX offers a clear combination of:
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Defensive demand characteristics
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Brand-driven pricing power (over time)
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Income support via dividend
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Company: CVS Health (SYM: CVS)
Flu shots, pharmacy traffic, and recurring seasonal demand
If Clorox captures the "home hygiene" spend, CVS captures the "health access" spend.
Flu season creates more than just demand for OTC remedies, it drives vaccinations, prescriptions, rapid tests, and store traffic. CVS is one of the most direct public-market ways to get that exposure at scale.
As of January 2, 2026, CVS is trading around $80.
And CVS brings a meaningful income component as well:
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Annual dividend is about $2.66 per share, implying a yield around 3.3% at current levels.
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The most recent quarterly dividend was $0.665 per share, paid on November 3, 2025, to shareholders of record on October 23, 2025.
Why CVS fits flu season
Even without "perfect" seasonality, the business model lines up with how consumers behave when respiratory illness spikes:
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Vaccination appointments and walk-ins
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Rx fulfillment and refills
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OTC basket-building (fever reducers, cough/cold, electrolytes, masks, sanitizers)
And notably, the CDC's surveillance update highlighted widespread activity and a sharp rise in illness counts as of late December 2025.
That kind of surge tends to keep pharmacy traffic elevated into January and beyond.
The tactical view
There's a historical tendency for CVS to show strength heading into flu season in multiple years. While no pattern is guaranteed, seasonality matters most when it aligns with fundamentals and sentiment.
In CVS's case, the market has also been focused on operational performance and outlook. Recent coverage has emphasized improved guidance and expectations for continued momentum into 2026, which can support the stock alongside any seasonal tailwind.
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Are there any other seasonal Winter stocks you're buying right now? What other sectors of the market are you currently interested in? Hit "reply" to this email and let us know your thoughts!
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