CL vs. PEP: Colgate-Palmolive vs. PepsiCo Stock Comparison
How do Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and PepsiCo (PEP) 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 PepsiCo (PEP) share the Consumer Staples sector but sit in different industry groups — CL in Household & Personal Products and PEP in Food, Beverage & Tobacco.
| Profile Item | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Colgate-Palmolive Co. | PepsiCo, Inc. |
| 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 | Beverages |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Household Products | Soft Drinks & Non-alcoholic Beverages |
| Market Capitalization | 76.76 billion USD | 192.61 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 2, 1973 | June 1, 1972 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 26.99% | 4.03% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 11.69% | -1.40% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 7.10% | 0.55% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 23.50% | 21.68% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.30 | 0.30 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -29.05% | -30.32% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.79M | 8.86M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.97 | -0.01 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.51 | -0.02 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 231.74% and PepsiCo (PEP) at 52.19% 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%
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
52.19%
- PEP
- 52.19%
- Max
- 32.02%
- Q3
- 16.61%
- Median
- 10.05%
- Q1
- 4.10%
- Min
- -10.50%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 9.65% and PepsiCo (PEP) at 11.09% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
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%
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
11.09%
- Max
- 24.83%
- Q3
- 11.22%
- PEP
- 11.09%
- Median
- 5.94%
- Q1
- 2.05%
- Min
- -11.49%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 20.38% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of PepsiCo (PEP) at 16.88%, 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%
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
16.88%
- Max
- 34.91%
- Q3
- 17.57%
- PEP
- 16.88%
- Median
- 11.06%
- Q1
- 4.15%
- Min
- -15.06%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 231.74% | 52.19% |
| ROA (TTM) | 16.05% | 9.02% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 9.65% | 11.09% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 20.38% | 16.88% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 60.64% | 54.33% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 1.40% and PepsiCo (PEP) at 2.25% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
PepsiCo (PEP) at -13.67% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at -25.07% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.40% | 2.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.29% | 2.83% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -25.07% | -13.67% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 7.28% | -2.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 0.96 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while PepsiCo (PEP) at 0.94 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for PEP.
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
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.94
- Max
- 4.01
- Q3
- 2.35
- Median
- 1.53
- Q1
- 1.02
- PEP
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.33
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Debt sits unusually high against shareholders’ equity for both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 12.06 and PepsiCo (PEP) at 2.31 — each debt-to-equity ratio is above its industry benchmark range.
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
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
2.31
- PEP
- 2.31
- Max
- 2.19
- Q3
- 1.11
- Median
- 0.68
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.96 | 0.94 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 12.06 | 2.31 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.21 | 2.12 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
PepsiCo (PEP) at 4.07% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 2.13% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, PEP 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%
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
4.07%
- Max
- 9.38%
- PEP
- 4.07%
- Q3
- 3.77%
- Median
- 1.76%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
PepsiCo (PEP) at 73.02% 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%
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
73.02%
- Max
- 199.19%
- Q3
- 81.03%
- PEP
- 73.02%
- Median
- 41.52%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.13% | 4.07% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 81.71% | 73.02% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
PepsiCo (PEP) at 17.78 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
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
17.78
- Max
- 52.52
- Q3
- 30.78
- Median
- 18.76
- PEP
- 17.78
- Q1
- 12.77
- Min
- 4.72
P/S Ratio (TTM)
PepsiCo (PEP) at 1.96 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
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.96
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.27
- PEP
- 1.96
- Median
- 1.17
- Q1
- 0.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Measured against book value, both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 266.74 and PepsiCo (PEP) at 8.65 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
PEP
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
8.65
- PEP
- 8.65
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.07
- Median
- 1.58
- Q1
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.00
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CL | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 37.57 | 17.78 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.61 | 1.96 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 266.74 | 8.65 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.40% | 4.70% |