# Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) — Financial Analysis

**Exchange:** NYSE  
**Coverage as of:** 2026-Q2  
**Updated:** 2026-05-13  
**Tier:** Free primer (step 2 of 19)  
**Sibling pages:** /stocks/CL/thesis · /stocks/CL/memo

## Financial Snapshot

---
ticker: CL
step: 04
generated: 2026-05-13
source: quick-research
---

### Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) — Financial Snapshot

#### Income Statement Summary

| Metric | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | YoY |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|-----|
| Revenue | $17.97B | $19.46B | $20.10B | +3.3% |
| Gross Margin | ~56% | ~58% | 60.5% | |
| Operating Margin | ~18% | ~20% | 21.8% | |
| Net Income | ~$1.8B | ~$2.1B | ~$2.8B | +33% |
| EPS (diluted) | ~$2.12 | ~$2.49 | $3.51 (GAAP) / $3.60 (Base) | +40%/+11% |

*FY2024 GAAP EPS +27% reflects both operating improvement and tax/restructuring items. Base Business EPS +11% better reflects underlying earnings power.*

#### Cash Flow & Balance Sheet (FY2024)

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Operating Cash Flow | ~$4.1B |
| Free Cash Flow | ~$3.55B |
| Capital Expenditures | ~$550M |
| Cash & Equivalents | ~$1.1B |
| Total Debt | ~$7.3B (net debt ~$6.2B) |

*FCF of $3.55B represents ~17.7% FCF margin — best-in-class for consumer staples. Company returned $3.4B to shareholders via dividends + buybacks in FY2024.*

#### Key Ratios (approximate)
- P/E: ~21x | EV/EBITDA: ~16x | Dividend Yield: ~2.5%
- Revenue Growth (FY2024): +3.3% (organic +7.4%) | FCF Margin: ~17.7%
- Gross Margin: 60.5% (six-year high driven by pricing + cost discipline)

#### Growth Profile
Colgate has delivered six consecutive years of 3%+ organic sales growth — an extraordinary streak for a $20B consumer staples company. FY2024 organic growth of 7.4% was driven by a mix of pricing and modest volume recovery. FY2025 organic sales growth was positive, with FY2025 revenue at ~$20.4B (+1.4% reported, but tariff headwinds forced a guidance cut). Hill's Pet Nutrition has been the standout growth engine, with revenue nearly doubling in five years on premium veterinary nutrition trends.

#### Forward Estimates
- FY2025 Revenue: ~$20.4B (actual); tariff headwind of $200M reduced EPS trajectory
- FY2026 Revenue guidance: +2% to +6% net sales growth; Low-to-mid single-digit Base Business EPS growth
- Management targets gross margin expansion in 2026 and double-digit EPS growth on 2030 plan horizon
- $5B share repurchase authorization announced — supportive of per-share earnings growth

## Deeper Financial Analysis

The fundamental tier ($1.00) adds 8 dimensions not included here:

- Revenue Breakdown — segment revenue, geographic mix, product-line margins
- Financial Trends — QoQ momentum, leading indicators, inflection points
- Balance Sheet — debt structure, dilution risk, working capital dynamics
- Capital Allocation — ROIC, buyback cadence, reinvestment efficiency
- Earnings Analysis — beats/misses, guidance vs actuals, transcript highlights
- Competitive Positioning — market share, pricing power, peer benchmarks
- Industry Context — TAM, sector tailwinds/headwinds, regulatory backdrop

**API endpoint:** GET /api/v1/research/CL/fundamental

## Navigation

- Overview: /stocks/CL
- Financials (this page): /stocks/CL/financials
- Thesis: /stocks/CL/thesis
- Investment Memo: /stocks/CL/memo
- Coverage universe: /stocks