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CL vs. KO: Colgate-Palmolive vs. Coca-Cola Stock Comparison

How do Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO) 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 Coca-Cola (KO) share the Consumer Staples sector but sit in different industry groups — CL in Household & Personal Products and KO in Food, Beverage & Tobacco.

Company profile comparison for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
Profile ItemCLKO
NameColgate-Palmolive Co.The Coca-Cola Company
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer StaplesConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupHousehold & Personal ProductsFood, Beverage & Tobacco
GICS IndustryHousehold ProductsBeverages
GICS Sub-IndustryHousehold ProductsSoft Drinks & Non-alcoholic Beverages
Market Capitalization76.76 billion USD411.56 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMay 2, 1973January 2, 1962
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CL
KO
GSPC
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
Total Return (1Y)26.99%39.33%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)11.69%22.59%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)7.10%14.43%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CL
KO
GSPC
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)23.50%18.90%
Beta (5Y)0.300.27
Max Drawdown (5Y)-29.05%-17.27%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.79M16.05M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CL and KO are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.971.85
Sortino Ratio (1Y)1.513.17

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 231.74% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 40.59% turn shareholders’ equity into profit at rates above their industry benchmark ranges for ROE. That is a strong capital-efficiency signal, though leverage and the equity base still matter.

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%

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

40.59%

KO
40.59%
Max
32.02%
Q3
16.61%
Median
10.05%
Q1
4.10%
Min
-10.50%
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Coca-Cola (KO) at 28.65% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 9.65% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.

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%

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

28.65%

KO
28.65%
Max
24.83%
Q3
11.22%
Median
5.94%
Q1
2.05%
Min
-11.49%
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 20.38% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 33.36% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

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%

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

33.36%

Max
34.91%
KO
33.36%
Q3
17.57%
Median
11.06%
Q1
4.15%
Min
-15.06%
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
ROE (TTM)231.74%40.59%
ROA (TTM)16.05%9.59%
Net Margin (TTM)9.65%28.65%
Operating Margin (TTM)20.38%33.36%
Gross Margin (TTM)60.64%62.32%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 1.40% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 1.87% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Coca-Cola (KO) at 23.58% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at -25.07% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.

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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
Revenue Growth (YoY)1.40%1.87%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.29%3.69%
EPS Growth (YoY)-25.07%23.58%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)7.28%11.55%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 0.96 and Coca-Cola (KO) at 1.38 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

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

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.38

Max
4.01
Q3
2.35
Median
1.53
KO
1.38
Q1
1.02
Min
0.33
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Coca-Cola (KO) at 1.07 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

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.07

Max
2.19
Q3
1.11
KO
1.07
Median
0.68
Q1
0.33
Min
0.00
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.961.38
Debt / Equity (MRQ)12.061.07
Net Debt / EBITDA1.211.48

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 2.13% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 2.19% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

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%

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

2.19%

Max
9.38%
Q3
3.77%
KO
2.19%
Median
1.76%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Coca-Cola (KO) at 61.95% 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%

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

61.95%

Max
199.19%
Q3
81.03%
KO
61.95%
Median
41.52%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.13%2.19%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)81.71%61.95%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Coca-Cola (KO) at 28.22 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 37.57 sits in the richer quartile — CL needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

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

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

28.22

Max
52.52
Q3
30.78
KO
28.22
Median
18.76
Q1
12.77
Min
4.72
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on sales: Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 3.61 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Coca-Cola (KO) at 8.06 prices even higher, above its industry range.

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

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

8.06

KO
8.06
Max
4.64
Q3
2.27
Median
1.17
Q1
0.52
Min
0.00
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 266.74 and Coca-Cola (KO) at 11.01 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

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

KO

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

11.01

KO
11.01
Max
6.35
Q3
3.07
Median
1.58
Q1
0.82
Min
0.00
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Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Coca-Cola (KO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Coca-Cola (KO)
MetricCLKO
P/E Ratio (TTM)37.5728.22
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.618.06
P/B Ratio (MRQ)266.7411.01
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)4.40%1.06%