Where it trades today
trading 52% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The key question is whether steady demand and pricing discipline can protect margins even if growth stays modest.
- CL trades at 34.4x earnings, well above the consumer defensive average of 21.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- CL carries a beta of 0.32, which means the stock should be judged on how it affects total portfolio swings, not just on standalone upside.
- Relative performance versus PG, KO, PEP matters here because leadership inside consumer defensive rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- CL is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in CL.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as PG, KO, PEP start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for CL come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Consumer Defensive so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as PG, KO, PEP.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for CL. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:56 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as PG, KO, PEP.
What Colgate-Palmolive does
Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items. This segment markets and sells its products under the Colgate, Palmolive, Darlie, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom's of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, Lady Speed Stick,…
Employees
33,600
Industry
Household & Personal Products
Headquarters
New York, United States
What analysts expect
CL carries a buy consensus from 20 analysts, with an average price target of $98.95 versus $87.47 today (+13.1%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
CL generated $21.05B in trailing revenue (4.9% year over year), with a 9.7% net margin, and $3.46B of free cash flow, against $6.40B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20.38B | $12.25B | $4.23B | $2.13B | $2.64 | $3.63B |
| 2024 | $20.10B | $12.16B | $4.33B | $2.89B | $3.53 | $3.55B |
| 2023 | $19.46B | $11.33B | $4.08B | $2.30B | $2.78 | $3.04B |
| 2022 | $17.97B | $10.25B | $3.62B | $1.78B | $2.13 | $1.86B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in consumer defensive
Stable sector with essential products like food, beverages, and household goods.
The companies it competes with
CL beside the consumer defensive names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Colgate-Palmolive trades at $87.47, 11.9% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 0.32, it shows less sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is CL a good buy right now?
Colgate-Palmolive trades at 34.4x earnings. This is above market average, reflecting growth expectations. Current risk level is Low based on 14.7% volatility.
Does CL pay dividends?
Yes, Colgate-Palmolive offers a dividend yield of 2.42%. That is roughly $2.12 per share a year.
How volatile is CL?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 14.7% and beta of 0.32, CL is classified as Low risk. The stock tends to be more stable than the market average.
What is the analyst price target for CL?
The average analyst price target for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) is $98.95 based on 20 analyst estimates, about 13.1% above the current price of $87.47. The published range runs from $87.00 to $110.00.
How much revenue does CL generate?
Colgate-Palmolive reported $21.05B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 4.9% year over year. Net margin sits at 9.7%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.