CL vs. KHC: Colgate-Palmolive vs. Kraft Heinz Stock Comparison
How do Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) share the Consumer Staples sector but sit in different industry groups — CL in Household & Personal Products and KHC in Food, Beverage & Tobacco.
| Profile Item | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Colgate-Palmolive Co. | The Kraft Heinz Company |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| GICS Industry Group | Household & Personal Products | Food, Beverage & Tobacco |
| GICS Industry | Household Products | Food Products |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Household Products | Packaged Foods & Meats |
| Market Capitalization | 76.76 billion USD | 29.13 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 2, 1973 | July 6, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 26.99% | 7.82% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 11.69% | -4.22% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 7.10% | -3.33% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 23.50% | 28.10% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.30 | 0.11 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -29.05% | -41.69% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.79M | 16.72M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.97 | 0.13 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.51 | 0.18 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports a negative ROE of -8.95%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Colgate-Palmolive (CL) reports 231.74%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
231.74%
- CL
- 231.74%
- Max
- 42.18%
- Q3
- 31.87%
- Median
- 17.80%
- Q1
- 9.28%
- Min
- -14.64%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
-8.95%
- Max
- 32.02%
- Q3
- 16.61%
- Median
- 10.05%
- Q1
- 4.10%
- KHC
- -8.95%
- Min
- -10.50%
Net Margin (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports a negative net margin of -13.99%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Colgate-Palmolive (CL) reports 9.65%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
9.65%
- Max
- 23.47%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- CL
- 9.65%
- Median
- 8.50%
- Q1
- 3.08%
- Min
- -9.74%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
-13.99%
- Max
- 24.83%
- Q3
- 11.22%
- Median
- 5.94%
- Q1
- 2.05%
- Min
- -11.49%
- KHC
- -13.99%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 20.38% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 16.47%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
20.38%
- Max
- 23.94%
- CL
- 20.38%
- Q3
- 17.03%
- Median
- 13.15%
- Q1
- 10.58%
- Min
- 1.87%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
16.47%
- Max
- 34.91%
- Q3
- 17.57%
- KHC
- 16.47%
- Median
- 11.06%
- Q1
- 4.15%
- Min
- -15.06%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 231.74% | -8.95% |
| ROA (TTM) | 16.05% | 3.56% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.65% | -13.99% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 20.38% | 16.47% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 60.64% | 33.65% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 1.40% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at -3.50% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Neither side shows strong earnings momentum: Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at -25.07% sits in the bottom EPS growth quartile, and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at -318.14% is weaker still, below its industry range.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.40% | -3.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.29% | -1.98% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -25.07% | -318.14% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 7.28% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 0.96 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 1.02 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for KHC.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
0.96
- Max
- 4.26
- Q3
- 2.82
- Median
- 1.84
- CL
- 0.96
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.65
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.02
- Max
- 4.01
- Q3
- 2.35
- Median
- 1.53
- Q1
- 1.02
- KHC
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.33
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 0.50 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 12.06 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
12.06
- CL
- 12.06
- Max
- 2.30
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 0.81
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.01
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.50
- Max
- 2.19
- Q3
- 1.11
- Median
- 0.68
- KHC
- 0.50
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.96 | 1.02 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 12.06 | 0.50 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.21 | 2.98 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 6.32% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 2.13% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, KHC the richer one.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
2.13%
- Max
- 5.00%
- Q3
- 2.47%
- CL
- 2.13%
- Median
- 1.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
6.32%
- Max
- 9.38%
- KHC
- 6.32%
- Q3
- 3.77%
- Median
- 1.76%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 73.06% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 81.71% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
81.71%
- Max
- 140.00%
- CL
- 81.71%
- Q3
- 73.75%
- Median
- 46.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
73.06%
- Max
- 199.19%
- Q3
- 81.03%
- KHC
- 73.06%
- Median
- 41.52%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.13% | 6.32% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 81.71% | 73.06% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Colgate-Palmolive (CL) trades at 37.57 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) has no P/E ratio this period.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
37.57
- CL
- 37.57
- Max
- 37.57
- Q3
- 33.54
- Median
- 20.03
- Q1
- 15.76
- Min
- 6.45
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
--
- Max
- 52.52
- Q3
- 30.78
- Median
- 18.76
- Q1
- 12.77
- Min
- 4.72
- KHC
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 1.18 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 3.61 sits in the pricier quartile — CL costs more per dollar of sales.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
3.61
- Max
- 4.36
- CL
- 3.61
- Q3
- 3.57
- Median
- 1.68
- Q1
- 0.76
- Min
- 0.30
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.18
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.27
- KHC
- 1.18
- Median
- 1.17
- Q1
- 0.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 0.81 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile relative to book while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 266.74 prices above its industry range — a wide valuation gap against assets.
CL
Household & Personal Products industry group
266.74
- CL
- 266.74
- Max
- 12.30
- Q3
- 7.43
- Median
- 3.44
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- -3.91
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.81
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.07
- Median
- 1.58
- Q1
- 0.82
- KHC
- 0.81
- Min
- 0.00
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 37.57 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.61 | 1.18 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 266.74 | 0.81 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.40% | 10.95% |