Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)
Ever wonder how one company manages to sneak into almost every bathroom sink on the planet? Meet the toothpaste giant behind your morning routine.
Is Colgate-Palmolive Company a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Ever wonder how one company manages to sneak into almost every bathroom sink on the planet? Meet the toothpaste giant behind your morning routine.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
sustained global demand and successful pricing power over decades
long-term shift towards discount private-label alternatives
What does Colgate-Palmolive Company do?
Colgate-Palmolive is a household staple powerhouse that makes daily essentials like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and pet food. It rakes in cash by selling these repeat-purchase items in over 200 countries, meaning people keep buying them regardless of economic weather. The key thing to keep an eye on is how well it can raise prices to offset rising ingredient costs without sending shoppers running to cheaper supermarket own-brands.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.3% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 8% over the year
- !High P/E of 36 - big growth is already priced in
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 16.4x its equity
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 364%)
- Unmatched global brand recognition in bathrooms everywhere
- High gross margins showing strong pricing power
- Very low market volatility, appealing for calmer portfolios
- Value screens low (29/100)
- Rising costs of ingredients and packaging squeezing profit margins
- Currency shifts affecting overseas earnings when converted back
- Retailers pushing back against price increases
What do Colgate-Palmolive Company's numbers mean?
How much money does Colgate-Palmolive Company make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Colgate-Palmolive Company pay a dividend?
Yes - Colgate-Palmolive Company currently pays a dividend of about 2.3% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Colgate-Palmolive Company report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Colgate-Palmolive Company is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-06 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $0.95 | $0.99 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-05-01 | $0.94 | $0.97 | Beat +3% |
| 2026-01-30 | $0.91 | $0.95 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-10-31 | $0.89 | $0.91 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-08-01 | $0.89 | $0.92 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-04-25 | $0.86 | $0.91 | Beat +6% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Colgate-Palmolive Company came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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PepsiCo, Inc.What are the scenarios for Colgate-Palmolive Company?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Colgate-Palmolive Company?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Unmatched global brand recognition in bathrooms everywhere
- High gross margins showing strong pricing power
- Very low market volatility, appealing for calmer portfolios
- Long history of reliable dividend payments
- Slow recent earnings growth with a small dip year-on-year
- High historical price-to-earnings valuation relative to profits
- Fierce competition from cheaper supermarket own-brand alternatives
- Rising costs of ingredients and packaging squeezing profit margins
- Currency shifts affecting overseas earnings when converted back
- Retailers pushing back against price increases
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained loss of market share to cheaper store-brand toothpastes
- A prolonged period of shrinking profits despite rising revenue
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.