Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) had its target price raised by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $104.00 to $111.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 15.12% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $101.00 to $97.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $101.00 target price (up from $99.00) on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.78.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock traded up $1.13 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $96.42. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,565,734 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,625,901. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.77, a PEG ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.31. Colgate-Palmolive has a 1-year low of $74.54 and a 1-year high of $99.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.82. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $89.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $89.65.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 9.65% and a return on equity of 607.88%. The firm had revenue of $5.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Colgate-Palmolive

In related news, CEO Noel Wallace sold 161,021 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.92, for a total value of $14,801,050.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 362,231 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,296,273.52. This represents a 30.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director John Cahill sold 4,170 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.37, for a total value of $389,352.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,373 shares in the company, valued at $2,649,187.01. The trade was a 12.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 175,191 shares of company stock worth $16,110,903. 0.43% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CL. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 97.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 94,195,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,635,889,000 after buying an additional 46,476,510 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 8.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 13,532,417 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,240,652,000 after buying an additional 1,010,872 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.1% during the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 8,205,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $752,298,000 after acquiring an additional 88,917 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 19.9% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 6,218,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $570,090,000 after acquiring an additional 1,033,918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Colgate-Palmolive during the second quarter worth about $567,483,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.41% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Colgate-Palmolive

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

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected quarterly results: Colgate-Palmolive reported third-quarter earnings of $0.97 per share, above the $0.93 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 4.6% year over year to $5.37 billion, slightly exceeding expectations. Colgate-Palmolive Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q3 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Improved outlook: Management narrowed its 2026 sales outlook while raising its margin and earnings-per-share guidance, signaling improved confidence in profitability and supporting the positive market reaction. Colgate-Palmolive sales rise 4.6% and it lifts margin and EPS outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases: RBC raised its price target from $104 to $105 and maintained an “outperform” rating. Wells Fargo also increased its target from $90 to $95, despite retaining an “equal weight” rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst signals: JPMorgan lowered its target from $104 to $102 but kept an “overweight” rating, while Barclays maintained a “hold” rating. These actions suggest continued confidence in the business but limited near-term upside at the current valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Lingering profit concerns: Commentary following the earnings report noted that questions remain about profit growth, which could restrain further gains if cost pressures or weaker-than-expected margins emerge. Colgate Palmolive Stock Climbs After Q3 Earnings Yet Profit Questions Linger

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.