Colgate-Palmolive Company $CL Stake Boosted by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management increased its Colgate-Palmolive stake by 31.4% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 51,773 shares valued at approximately $4.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.41% of the company.
• Colgate-Palmolive reported quarterly earnings of $0.99 per share, beating analyst estimates of $0.95, while revenue rose 4.9% year over year to $5.36 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing a 2.3% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $98, but recent insider activity has been negative: executives and directors sold more than 175,000 shares over the past three months, with no purchases reported in the broader recent period.

Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL - Free Report) by 31.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 51,773 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,365 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $4,417,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 29.0% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 639,604 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,639,000 after purchasing an additional 143,812 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the second quarter worth $567,483,000. Brandywine Financial Group increased its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 35,612.3% in the first quarter. Brandywine Financial Group now owns 72,853 shares of the company's stock worth $6,209,000 after buying an additional 72,649 shares during the period. SEB Asset Management AB bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the first quarter valued at $91,149,000. Finally, Robinhood Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive during the second quarter valued at $11,554,000. Institutional investors own 80.41% of the company's stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Down 3.4%

CL stock opened at $94.10 on Friday. Colgate-Palmolive Company has a 12 month low of $74.54 and a 12 month high of $99.33. The firm has a market cap of $75.02 billion, a PE ratio of 37.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.33. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $89.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $89.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.82, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.36 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 9.68% and a return on equity of 464.63%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Colgate-Palmolive Company will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Colgate-Palmolive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 84.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Panagiotis Tsourapas sold 10,000 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $5,974,137.05. The trade was a 13.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director John Cahill sold 4,170 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 28,373 shares in the company, valued at $2,649,187.01. This trade represents a 12.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 175,191 shares of company stock worth $16,110,903 in the last three months. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on CL. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $101.00 to $97.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $102.00 to $100.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Colgate-Palmolive has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $98.00.

Key Colgate-Palmolive News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect earnings growth, and Zacks says Colgate-Palmolive has a favorable combination of earnings estimates and historical earnings surprises that could support a quarterly beat. Colgate-Palmolive earnings expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage has highlighted strong toothpaste performance, while Colgate-Palmolive India reported 12.2% revenue growth, 4.3% profit growth and modest gross-margin expansion. These results may offer some support for the broader brand portfolio, although the Indian subsidiary is not the same entity as the U.S.-listed parent. Colgate-Palmolive India quarterly results
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was elevated, with investors purchasing 4,443 put contracts—about 71% above typical volume—signaling increased hedging or bearish positioning ahead of the report, but not necessarily confirming a change in fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning was mixed in the latest quarter: 851 investors added shares while 853 reduced holdings. Analyst targets remain varied, with a reported median of $96, suggesting limited upside relative to recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about raw-material and packaging inflation, tariff effects, intense category competition and pressure on consumer spending. Management has also warned that volatile market conditions could persist through the rest of 2026. Colgate-Palmolive defensive rally and earnings risks
• Negative Sentiment: Insiders have reported five open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, including substantial sales by CEO Noel Wallace. While insider transactions can reflect personal financial decisions, the lack of buying may weigh on sentiment.

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.

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