Colgate-Palmolive Company
Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items. This segment markets and sells its products under the Colgate, Palmolive, Darlie, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom's of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, Lady Speed Stick, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Murphy, Soupline, and Suavitel brands to a range of traditional and eCommerce retailers, wholesalers, and distributors, as well as dentists and skin health professionals. It also offers pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals. The Pet Nutrition segment offers pet nutrition products for everyday nutritional needs under the Hill's Science Diet brand; and a range of therapeutic pet products to help nutritionally support dogs and cats in different stages of health under the Hill's Prescription Diet brand; and a fresh pet food sold to pet specialty and other retailers in Australia under Prime100 brand. This segment markets and sells its products through pet supply retailers, veterinarians, and eCommerce retailers. Colgate-Palmolive Company was founded in 1806 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
What does it do?
Colgate-Palmolive makes the everyday products sitting in your bathroom and kitchen right now. Think Colgate toothpaste, Palmolive dish soap, Speed Stick deodorant, and Hill's Science Diet pet food. They sell these products in over 200 countries, meaning someone on almost every continent is brushing their teeth with their toothpaste today. It is one of the most recognizable consumer brands on the planet, built over nearly 200 years.
Colgate sits in the 'Consumer Defensive' category, which means people buy its products whether the economy is booming or crashing — you still brush your teeth during a recession. That makes it a go-to stock for investors nervous about economic slowdowns, acting almost like a shelter when markets get choppy. Right now, with inflation and interest rate uncertainty still in focus, defensive stocks like Colgate are attracting fresh attention from investors who want stability over explosive growth.
How does it make money?
Colgate generates its $20.4 billion in annual revenue through two main buckets. The first and largest is Oral, Personal and Home Care — this covers toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and cleaning products sold through supermarkets, pharmacies, and e-commerce globally. The second is Pet Nutrition through its Hill's brand, which has become a meaningful growth driver as premium pet food spending rises. Revenue grew modestly from $20.1 billion to $20.4 billion last year, and the company converted $2.1 billion of that into net profit — meaning it kept about 10 cents of profit for every dollar it sold.
Why do investors care?
Investors are drawn to Colgate because it has paid and grown its dividend every year for decades, making it a 'Dividend Aristocrat' — a company with a long, consistent track record of rewarding shareholders with cash payments. The growth story hinges on two things: pricing power in emerging markets like Latin America and Asia, where a rising middle class is trading up to branded oral care, and the continued expansion of Hill's premium pet food. For the thesis to work, Colgate needs to keep pushing through price increases without losing too many customers to cheaper store-brand alternatives.
Deep Dive
MemberA full investor briefing on Colgate-Palmolive Company — history, leadership, risks, and outlook.