Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Unilever (UL)

Company Profile

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Unilever (UL) both fall under the Household & Personal Products industry group, but CL is classified in Household Products while UL is classified in Personal Care Products.

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) trades as a standard ordinary-equity line, while Unilever (UL) is an ADR tied to a foreign-share or depositary-receipt structure — compare with FX exposure, program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Historical Performance

Historical Performance at a Glance

Profitability

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) leads with Return on Equity (TTM) of 475.13%, above its industry benchmark range, while Unilever (UL) at 56.82% also ranks strongly in the top quartile.

Unilever (UL) at 14.68% ranks in the top quartile for Net Profit Margin (TTM), ahead of Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 10.04%, which sits closer to the industry mid-range.

Unilever (UL) at 18.98% ranks in the top quartile for Operating Profit Margin (TTM), ahead of Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 15.42%, which sits closer to the industry mid-range.

Profitability at a Glance

Financial Strength

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 1.02 keeps Current Ratio (MRQ) within its industry mid-range, while Unilever (UL) at 0.79 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for UL.

Unilever (UL) at 1.82 is around its industry mid-range for Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ), while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 54.99 sits above its industry benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

Both Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 18.78 and Unilever (UL) at 22.84 rank in the top quartile for Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) among industry peers, indicating ample headroom to cover interest payments from operating income or EBIT.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Growth

Revenue Growth

Revenue Growth at a Glance

EPS Growth

EPS Growth at a Glance

Dividend

Unilever (UL) at 4.16% reports Dividend Yield (TTM) in the top quartile of industry peers, ahead of Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 2.54%, which sits around the industry mid-range.

Unilever (UL) at 47.03% maintains Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) around its industry median — a balanced dividend policy. Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 61.72% sits outside the typical mid-range, leaning toward more retention or more distribution than the industry median.

Dividend at a Glance

Valuation

Unilever (UL) at 11.30 trades in the lower-multiple quartile for Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM), while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 34.60 sits in the higher-multiple quartile — a clear gap in trailing earnings multiples.

Unilever (UL) at 1.79 carries typical industry Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM), while Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 3.47 sits in the higher-multiple quartile — CL carries a higher trailing revenue multiple relative to peers.

Unilever (UL) at 7.87 sits in the higher-multiple quartile for Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ), but Colgate-Palmolive (CL) at 471.59 is higher still, above its industry benchmark range — both carry elevated book-value multiples relative to peers, with CL higher.

Valuation at a Glance