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.
CL vs EL: how the two businesses compare
- Bigger business: CL, with $20.4B of yearly revenue, about 1.4× EL's $14.3B.
- More profitable: CL keeps 10 cents of each sales dollar as profit; EL lost money over the year.
- More cash from each sale: CL turns 21 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 9 cents at EL.
From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) is the larger business by reported revenue: $20.4B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.4× EL's $14.3B (fiscal year ended Jun 2025). CL's net margin was 10.5% and EL's -7.9%. Both file with the SEC under the same industry code, SIC 2844 (Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations).
Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.
- Consumer Staples
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations
- Same classification
- Different
- CL December 31 · EL June 30
- Aug 19, 2026
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
- Scale: CL's $20.4B of revenue is about 1.4× EL's $14.3B.
- Net margin: CL kept 10.5% of revenue as net income versus -7.9% at EL.
- Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled CL 20.6% of revenue, or 1.97× net income; EL 8.9% of revenue. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
- Periods: the fiscal years end about 6 months apart (2025-12-31 for CL, 2025-06-30 for EL), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.
| Metric | CL | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $20.4B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $14.3B2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30 · SEC filing |
| Net income | $2.1B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | −$1.1B2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30 · SEC filing |
| Operating cash flow | $4.2B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $1.3B2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30 · SEC filing |
| Diluted EPS | $2.632025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | −$3.152024-07-01 to 2025-06-30 · SEC filing |
| Net margin | 10.5%2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | -7.9%2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30 · SEC filing |
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.
Where CL and EL overlap, and where they don't
Overlap
- Same SEC industry: both report under SIC 2844, Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations.
- Shared research theme: International markets.
Differences
- Offset fiscal calendars: CL's year ends December 31 and EL's June 30, about 6 months apart.
- Profitability: net margin of 10.5% for CL versus -7.9% for EL.
- EL reported a net loss of $1.1B in its fiscal year ended Jun 2025.
Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)
Estée Lauder makes prestige skincare, makeup, and fragrance brands sold in department stores and travel retail.
What moves each company
Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.
What moves CL
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for CL. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-23.
What moves EL
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for EL. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-08-19.
The investment question
You now know CL reports about 1.4× EL's revenue, and CL keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to international markets, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.
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Read the full researchSEC 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 15 matched transaction rows for CL and 9 matched transaction rows 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 and Estée Lauder Companies 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.
Is CL or EL the bigger company by revenue?
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) is the larger business by reported revenue: $20.4B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.4× EL's $14.3B (fiscal year ended Jun 2025). CL's net margin was 10.5% and EL's -7.9%. Both file with the SEC under the same industry code, SIC 2844 (Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations). Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.
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 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?
CL vs EL compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.
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