Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) Stock

Key Points

• Barclays raised Colgate-Palmolive’s price target from $87 to $95 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, implying about 2.65% downside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: 13 analysts rate the stock a Buy and seven rate it a Hold, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $101.22.
• Colgate-Palmolive exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.97 in EPS versus $0.93 expected and $5.37 billion in revenue, up 4.6% year over year.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by Barclays from $87.00 to $95.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Barclays's target price points to a potential downside of 2.65% from the company's previous close.

CL has been the topic of a number of other reports. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $104.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings cut Colgate-Palmolive from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $101.22.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

Shares of CL stock opened at $97.59 on Tuesday. Colgate-Palmolive has a 52-week low of $74.54 and a 52-week high of $99.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.82. The stock has a market cap of $77.79 billion, a PE ratio of 38.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.31. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $89.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $89.72.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 464.63% and a net margin of 9.68%. The company had revenue of $5.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.34 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.91 earnings per share. Colgate-Palmolive's quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 10,000 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 64,901 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,974,137.05. This trade represents a 13.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John Cahill sold 4,170 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.37, for a total value of $389,352.90. Following the sale, the director owned 28,373 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,649,187.01. This trade represents a 12.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cooper Financial Group increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 2,947 shares of the company's stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the period. Gould Capital LLC increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 38.7% in the first quarter. Gould Capital LLC now owns 412 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 2.8% during the second quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 4,326 shares of the company's stock worth $397,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.4% during the second quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 8,767 shares of the company's stock valued at $804,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 2.1% during the third quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 5,737 shares of the company's stock valued at $490,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Colgate-Palmolive

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

• Positive Sentiment: Improved quarterly performance and guidance: Colgate-Palmolive reported 4.6% year-over-year sales growth, exceeded third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, and raised its margin and EPS outlook. The company also narrowed its 2026 sales guidance, signaling continued operating resilience. Colgate-Palmolive sales rise 4.6% and it lifts margin and EPS outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Demand and innovation remain constructive: Management highlighted steady global demand and premium product innovation as growth drivers, helping offset inflation and other cost pressures. CL Q3 deep dive: global demand and premium innovation support steady growth amid cost pressures
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets moved higher: Morgan Stanley raised its target to $111 and kept an overweight rating; BNP Paribas Exane increased its target to $108 while maintaining outperform; and RBC raised its target to $105 with an outperform rating. These revisions reflect greater confidence following the earnings report. Colgate-Palmolive Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion is not unanimous: JPMorgan trimmed its price target to $102 but retained an overweight rating, while Wells Fargo raised its target to $95 but maintained equal weight. Barclays also reiterated a hold rating, suggesting some analysts believe much of the positive earnings news is already reflected in the valuation. Barclays Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Colgate-Palmolive
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profitability concerns remain: Commentary notes that CL trades at a substantially higher forward earnings multiple than Lululemon, raising questions about whether its defensive growth profile justifies the premium. Investors are also monitoring cost inflation and lingering questions about profit growth. Lululemon trades at half the forward P/E of Colgate-Palmolive

About Colgate-Palmolive

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.

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