How Is Colgate-Palmolive’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Consumer Staples Stocks?
New York-based Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) is a global consumer products leader. Valued at a market cap of $68.2 billion, it specializes in oral care, personal and home care, and pet nutrition. With iconic brands like Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, and Hill’s, the company operates in over 200 countries. It maintains a top global market share in toothpaste, driving growth through innovation, marketing, and sustainability initiatives.
Companies worth $10 billion or more are typically classified as “large-cap stocks,” and CL fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the household & personal products industry. The company’s strengths include strong brand equity, global reach, and market leadership in oral care, supported by a robust distribution network, consumer insights, and effective localized marketing across developed and emerging markets.
However, the shares of this oral care giant have dipped 23.3% from its 52-week high of $109.30, reached on Sep. 5, 2024. Shares of CL have declined 7.5% over the past three months, lagging behind the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLP) marginal drop during the same time frame.
In the longer term, Colgate-Palmolive has fallen 22.2% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming XLP’s 3% drop over the same time frame. Moreover, on a YTD basis, shares of CL are down 7.8%, compared to XLP’s 2.5% rise.
To confirm its bearish trend, CL has been mainly trading below its 200-day moving average since early November 2024 and has remained below its 50-day moving average since late April.
CL shares dipped marginally on Aug. 1 after the company posted its fiscal 2025 second-quarter earnings. It reported net sales of $5.11 billion, up 1% year-over-year, with organic sales growing 1.8%. Adjusted EPS of $0.92 slightly beat analyst expectations. Colgate maintained its global leadership in oral care in 2025, holding a 41.1% share of the toothpaste market and a 32.4% share of the manual toothbrush market.
CL has lagged behind its rival, The Procter & Gamble Company’s (PG) 9.4% fall over the past 52 weeks and 5.7% in 2025.
Despite CL’s recent underperformance, analysts remain moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy” from the 21 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $95.55 suggests a 14% premium to its current price levels.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
