ADM vs. CL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADM and CL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
CL’s market capitalization of 75.19 billion USD is significantly greater than ADM’s 26.57 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
ADM’s beta of 0.66 points to significantly higher volatility compared to CL (beta: 0.38), suggesting ADM has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | ADM | CL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Archer-Daniels-Midland Company | Colgate-Palmolive Company |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | Agricultural Farm Products | Household & Personal Products |
| CEO | Juan Ricardo Luciano | Noel R. Wallace |
| Price | 55.31 USD | 92.78 USD |
| Market Cap | 26.57 billion USD | 75.19 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.66 | 0.38 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | May 2, 1973 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADM and CL by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ADM
6.18%
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 19.53%
- Q3
- 12.40%
- Median
- 7.41%
- Q1
- 5.58%
- Min
- 4.52%
ADM’s Return on Equity of 6.18% is on par with the norm for the Agricultural Farm Products industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
CL
1,022.77%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 38.00%
- Q3
- 32.25%
- Median
- 24.06%
- Q1
- 4.84%
- Min
- -18.42%
CL’s Return on Equity of 1,022.77% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Household & Personal Products industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Return on Invested Capital
ADM
3.42%
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 15.58%
- Q3
- 9.63%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 3.56%
- Min
- 1.71%
ADM’s Return on Invested Capital of 3.42% is in the lower quartile for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This indicates a less efficient conversion of invested capital into profit compared to most of its competitors.
CL
34.47%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 34.47%
- Q3
- 21.03%
- Median
- 9.28%
- Q1
- 3.66%
- Min
- -4.23%
In the upper quartile for the Household & Personal Products industry, CL’s Return on Invested Capital of 34.47% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ADM
1.63%
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 8.26%
- Q3
- 6.13%
- Median
- 3.22%
- Q1
- 1.67%
- Min
- 1.12%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Agricultural Farm Products industry, ADM’s Net Profit Margin of 1.63% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
CL
14.52%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 20.09%
- Q3
- 12.77%
- Median
- 8.06%
- Q1
- 3.36%
- Min
- -6.60%
A Net Profit Margin of 14.52% places CL in the upper quartile for the Household & Personal Products industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ADM
1.92%
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 9.85%
- Q3
- 8.83%
- Median
- 4.47%
- Q1
- 2.84%
- Min
- 0.72%
ADM’s Operating Profit Margin of 1.92% is in the lower quartile for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
CL
21.87%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 33.32%
- Q3
- 16.82%
- Median
- 10.84%
- Q1
- 5.76%
- Min
- -4.25%
An Operating Profit Margin of 21.87% places CL in the upper quartile for the Household & Personal Products industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADM | CL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.18% | 1022.77% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.56% | 17.40% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 3.42% | 34.47% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 1.63% | 14.52% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 1.92% | 21.87% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 6.32% | 60.72% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ADM
1.38
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 3.86
- Q3
- 2.58
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.51
- Min
- 1.26
ADM’s Current Ratio of 1.38 falls into the lower quartile for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
CL
0.85
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 3.05
- Q3
- 1.96
- Median
- 1.27
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.71
CL’s Current Ratio of 0.85 aligns with the median group of the Household & Personal Products industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ADM
0.56
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 1.00
- Q3
- 0.70
- Median
- 0.53
- Q1
- 0.34
- Min
- 0.07
ADM’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.56 is typical for the Agricultural Farm Products industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
CL
22.78
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 2.16
- Q3
- 1.78
- Median
- 0.87
- Q1
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.05
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 22.78, CL operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Household & Personal Products industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ADM
2.31
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 12.12
- Q3
- 9.52
- Median
- 3.38
- Q1
- 2.68
- Min
- 0.95
In the lower quartile for the Agricultural Farm Products industry, ADM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.31 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
CL
14.54
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 21.84
- Q3
- 12.04
- Median
- 3.71
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- -1.74
CL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 14.54 is in the upper quartile for the Household & Personal Products industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADM | CL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.38 | 0.85 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.81 | 0.54 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.56 | 22.78 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.23 | 0.50 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 3.24 | 1.48 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 2.31 | 14.54 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ADM and CL. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ADM
3.65%
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 7.76%
- Q3
- 5.34%
- Median
- 3.60%
- Q1
- 2.88%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADM’s Dividend Yield of 3.65% is consistent with its peers in the Agricultural Farm Products industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
CL
2.18%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 5.15%
- Q3
- 3.16%
- Median
- 2.31%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CL’s Dividend Yield of 2.18% is consistent with its peers in the Household & Personal Products industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ADM
71.38%
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 75.60%
- Q3
- 52.87%
- Median
- 34.22%
- Q1
- 33.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 71.38% is in the upper quartile for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
CL
62.17%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 147.82%
- Q3
- 68.54%
- Median
- 51.42%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 62.17% is within the typical range for the Household & Personal Products industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ADM | CL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.65% | 2.18% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 71.38% | 62.17% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ADM
19.56
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 33.52
- Q3
- 20.70
- Median
- 16.17
- Q1
- 10.00
- Min
- 4.88
ADM’s P/E Ratio of 19.56 is within the middle range for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
CL
26.19
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 66.72
- Q3
- 42.49
- Median
- 24.63
- Q1
- 20.39
- Min
- 5.23
CL’s P/E Ratio of 26.19 is within the middle range for the Household & Personal Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ADM
2.10
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.81
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.67
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Agricultural Farm Products industry.
CL
3.59
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 5.42
- Q3
- 4.43
- Median
- 2.84
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.43
CL’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.59 is within the middle range of its peers in the Household & Personal Products industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ADM
0.32
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 2.89
- Q3
- 1.43
- Median
- 0.36
- Q1
- 0.25
- Min
- 0.01
ADM’s P/S Ratio of 0.32 aligns with the market consensus for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
CL
3.77
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 5.97
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 2.38
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.24
CL’s P/S Ratio of 3.77 aligns with the market consensus for the Household & Personal Products industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ADM
1.21
Agricultural Farm Products Industry
- Max
- 3.19
- Q3
- 1.88
- Median
- 1.10
- Q1
- 0.99
- Min
- 0.77
ADM’s P/B Ratio of 1.21 is within the conventional range for the Agricultural Farm Products industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
CL
209.00
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 38.54
- Q3
- 20.07
- Median
- 6.47
- Q1
- 0.97
- Min
- 0.38
At 209.00, CL’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Household & Personal Products industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ADM | CL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 19.56 | 26.19 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.10 | 3.59 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 0.32 | 3.77 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.21 | 209.00 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 118.63 | 21.69 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 10.68 | 17.08 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 0.45 | 4.13 |