Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $5.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.34 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 464.63% and a net margin of 9.68%. Colgate-Palmolive’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.91 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Colgate-Palmolive’s conference call:

• Broad-based growth continued: Colgate-Palmolive reported organic sales growth across all four categories and four of five divisions, with emerging markets, Europe, and Hill’s contributing strongly. Free cash flow rose 7%, and the company returned $2.2 billion to shareholders year to date.
• Profitability outperformed despite inflation. Productivity programs, pricing, premium innovation, and manufacturing leverage more than offset roughly 300 basis points of material-cost pressure, prompting the company to raise its full-year gross-margin outlook.
• Hill’s delivered an especially strong quarter, with organic sales up 6.5% excluding private label and notable gains in therapeutic, cat, and wet-food segments. The company is also gradually rolling out its Fresh product line, targeting longer-term growth.
• Cost and macroeconomic pressures remain elevated. Management expects commodity inflation to peak in the fourth quarter, with logistics costs also high and foreign exchange moving unfavorably; these pressures could be a headwind into 2027, when no guidance has yet been provided.
• The U.S. turnaround remains a work in progress. Toothpaste market share showed early improvement, but category demand remains sluggish, and the company plans to rely on increased premium innovation, targeted advertising, AI-enabled marketing, and channel restructuring to drive a broader recovery in 2027.

Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 2.4%

NYSE CL opened at $95.35 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $76.01 billion, a PE ratio of 37.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.33. Colgate-Palmolive has a 1-year low of $74.54 and a 1-year high of $99.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.82. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $89.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $89.65.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 20th. Colgate-Palmolive’s payout ratio is currently 84.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In other news, Director John Cahill sold 4,170 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.37, for a total transaction of $389,352.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 28,373 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,649,187.01. This trade represents a 12.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 10,000 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.05, for a total value of $920,500.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 64,901 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,974,137.05. This represents a 13.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 175,191 shares of company stock worth $16,110,903 over the last 90 days. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $101.00 to $97.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $98.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Colgate-Palmolive

Here are the key news stories impacting Colgate-Palmolive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $0.97 per share, above the roughly $0.92–$0.93 analyst consensus and up from $0.91 a year earlier. Revenue increased 4.6% year over year to $5.37 billion, also exceeding expectations. Colgate-Palmolive Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Organic sales growth, pricing, higher volumes and productivity initiatives supported the quarterly beat. Management raised its 2026 base-business EPS and gross-margin outlook, signaling better profitability despite cost pressures. Colgate Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Organic Sales and Pricing Gains
• Positive Sentiment: The company maintained its fiscal 2026 EPS outlook while improving its base-business profitability forecast. The stronger guidance likely explains the favorable investor reaction and elevated trading activity. Colgate-Palmolive Raises FY26 Base-Business EPS View
• Neutral Sentiment: Management narrowed its full-year sales-growth outlook, suggesting that pricing and productivity—not broad-based demand—remain important drivers of performance. Colgate-Palmolive Raises Profit Outlook Despite Weak US Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Weak U.S. demand and rising input costs remain risks. The earnings beat was strong, but investors may question how sustainable margin gains will be if consumer demand softens or cost inflation accelerates. Colgate-Palmolive Q3 Analysis

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) is a global consumer products company focused on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition. Its portfolio includes toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, liquid hand soap, body wash, deodorants, household cleaning products and pet food and treats.

The company markets well-known brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, meridol, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Ajax, Protex and Hill’s Science Diet. Colgate-Palmolive also provides veterinary and nutritional products through Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which serves pet owners and animal health professionals.

Founded in 1806 by William Colgate, the company developed from a soap and candle business into a diversified consumer goods manufacturer.