Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)
Colgate-Palmolive is a leader in oral care and also sells personal-care, home-care, and pet-nutrition products worldwide. Its dominant global toothpaste share provides steady, recession-resistant demand.
Consumer Staples stock comparison
CL vs EL: which business are you actually underwriting?
Compare Colgate-Palmolive Company with The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. using their business models, SEC classifications, fiscal calendars, current primary filings, and the research questions that matter. This is a thesis framework—not a price target or automatic winner.
- Sector
- Consumer
- Industry
- Same SIC
- Shared themes
- 1
- Updated
- 2026-08-19
CL vs EL: quick comparison
| Company fact | CL | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Colgate-Palmolive Company | The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Headquarters | New York, New York | — |
| Founded | 1806 | — |
| SEC industry | Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations | Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations |
| Fiscal year-end | December 31 | June 30 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-02-23 | 10-K · 2026-08-19 |
CL vs EL: audited financials
CL reported about 1.4× the revenue of EL in the latest audited fiscal year. Scale and margin are starting facts for the thesis, not the verdict.
| Metric | CL | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $20.4B | $14.3B |
| Net income | $2.1B | — |
| Operating cash flow | $4.2B | $1.3B |
| Diluted EPS | $2.63 | −$3.15 |
| Net margin | 10.5% | — |
CL: FY ending 2025-12-31 · EL: FY ending 2025-06-30. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
How the businesses differ
Why this pair belongs in the comparison set
CL and EL share the SEC industry classification “Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations,” giving the comparison a primary-source operating relationship. A shared classification or theme makes the pair useful for a defined research question; it does not mean the companies have identical products, economics, or risks.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)
Estée Lauder makes prestige skincare, makeup, and fragrance brands sold in department stores and travel retail.
The useful starting point is not which ticker has performed better. It is whether the two companies convert the same economic forces into revenue and cash flow in the same way. CL is classified by the SEC as Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations, while EL is classified as Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations. The matching industry code strengthens the peer comparison, although product mix can still differ materially.
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The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $15 a month.
Read the full researchWhich thesis does each company fit?
Use the distinction below to decide which filing deserves deeper work. It is a research routing rule, not a recommendation or prediction.
Study CL when…
- Input-cost inflation and pricing power
- Private-label competition and volume trends
- Currency, given large international revenue
- Defensive rotation when growth slows
Study EL when…
- Input-cost inflation and pricing power
- Private-label competition and volume trends
- Currency, given large international revenue
- Defensive rotation when growth slows
Shared research themes
International markets
SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable.CL's fiscal year ends December 31, while EL's ends June 30. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 12matched transaction rows for CLand 8 for EL. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
CL primary filings
EL primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
CL vs EL FAQs
Are CL and EL direct competitors?
Colgate-Palmolive Company and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. share the SEC industry classification “Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations.” That makes the operating comparison relevant, but it does not prove that every product, customer, or revenue stream competes directly.
Which is better, CL or EL?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this CL vs EL comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Colgate-Palmolive Company and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-09-25. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-09-25. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
A comparison is the setup. The thesis is the call.
CL vs EL shows how the businesses differ. Membership is the monthly sourced view of who could benefit, what could break, and what evidence matters next. $15/month or $150/year.
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