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.
