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CL vs EPC
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Edgewell Personal Care (EPC) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Scale gap: CL is a ~$70 billion consumer-staples giant, while EPC is a ~$1.3 billion personal-care specialist, creating very different risk and return profiles.
- Growth profile: Colgate-Palmolive is delivering mid-single-digit sales growth led by emerging markets, while Edgewell is navigating a portfolio reset after divesting its Feminine Care business.
- Margin pressure: Both companies face raw-material and tariff cost inflation, but Colgate's scale and pricing power have protected profitability more effectively than Edgewell's.
- North America is the shared weak spot: U.S. categories and volumes have softened for both names, even as international and emerging-market trends remain firmer.
- Valuation contrast: CL trades at a premium forward price-to-earnings multiple (roughly 22–23x), while EPC carries a much lower multiple but faces lower growth visibility.
- Sentiment: CL's trend is steadier and more institutionally supported, whereas EPC shows higher volatility tied to execution and turnaround milestones.
Introduction
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Edgewell Personal Care (EPC) both operate in the consumer products space, yet they occupy almost opposite ends of the market-capitalization spectrum. This comparison is relevant for investors weighing a large, diversified staples leader against a smaller, turnaround-focused personal-care company. Traders monitoring relative performance, momentum, and market positioning may also find the contrast instructive, because the two stocks respond differently to the same macro forces—tariffs, inflation, and soft U.S. consumer demand. Examining their recent results side by side helps clarify where each company stands in the current market environment and which profile better suits a given investment approach.
CL Overview and Recent Performance
Colgate-Palmolive is a diversified consumer products company best known for oral care, personal care, home care, and its Hill's Pet Nutrition segment, selling brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, and Hill's across more than 200 countries. In recent quarters, the company has delivered broad-based revenue growth, with net sales rising roughly 8% year over year in its latest reported quarter, supported by accelerating volumes in emerging markets including India, Brazil, Mexico, and China. Organic sales (a measure that excludes currency swings and acquisitions or divestitures) have grown in the low single digits, reflecting a more balanced mix of volume and pricing.
Momentum, however, has been uneven. North America remains a clear drag, with organic sales and volumes declining amid softer categories, retailer inventory reductions, and intensifying competition. Margin trends have been resilient—gross margin has held near 60%—but management has flagged higher raw-material and logistics costs tied to global volatility. Reports that the company is exploring the sale of certain non-core personal-care brands have added a strategic catalyst to the narrative. Despite muted near-term price action, CL continues to attract steady institutional support and offers a dividend yield of roughly 2.4%.
EPC Overview and Recent Performance
Edgewell Personal Care is a focused personal-care company whose portfolio includes Wet Shave brands such as Schick and Billie, Sun and Skin Care brands including Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic, and grooming brands led by Cremo. The company is in the midst of a portfolio simplification, having divested its Feminine Care business to concentrate resources on categories where it believes it has competitive advantage. In recent quarters, reported net sales have been roughly flat to slightly higher, while organic sales have fluctuated between modest declines and low-single-digit growth.
Performance has been mixed by region and category. International Wet Shave has grown, driven by volume gains and share wins in markets such as Japan, while North America Wet Shave has declined against category and channel headwinds. Grooming has been a bright spot, with Cremo posting strong growth, and Sun Care has shown signs of recovery. The biggest challenge has been profitability: adjusted gross margin has contracted sharply as core inflation and tariffs have more than offset productivity savings. Leverage (measured as adjusted net debt to EBITDA, a gauge of debt relative to earnings) remains elevated near the high 3x range. Management has reaffirmed full-year guidance, but the stock's volatility reflects investors' focus on execution and the pace of the turnaround.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
The most fundamental contrast between these two companies is scale and diversification. Colgate-Palmolive operates a global, multi-category portfolio that generates more than $20 billion in annual net sales, giving it pricing power, geographic diversification, and steady cash flow. Edgewell, by contrast, is concentrated in shaving, sun care, and grooming, with net sales in the hundreds of millions per quarter—making it more sensitive to category-level swings and competitive pressure.
The growth drivers also differ. CL's engine is emerging-market penetration and the resilient Hill's Pet Nutrition franchise, offset by a challenging U.S. market. EPC's path depends on reviving its branded Wet Shave business, scaling high-growth brands such as Billie and Cremo, and completing its post-divestiture margin recovery. On risk factors, both face input-cost inflation and tariffs, but EPC's thinner margins and higher leverage make it more vulnerable to cost shocks, while CL's premium valuation leaves less room for execution misses. In terms of market sentiment, CL is broadly viewed as a defensive, income-generating compounder, whereas EPC is treated as a smaller-cap value-and-turnaround story with higher beta and greater headline sensitivity.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors—trend consistency, financial stability, catalysts, and relative positioning—Tickeron's AI would likely favor CL over EPC in the current environment. Colgate-Palmolive's steadier price trend, robust cash generation, diversified revenue base, and clearer growth path across emerging markets and pet nutrition suggest a more consistent risk-adjusted profile. Edgewell's lower valuation and turnaround potential offer upside, but its narrower portfolio, elevated leverage, and compressed margins introduce greater uncertainty and choppier momentum. The AI verdict is therefore probabilistic rather than definitive: CL appears better positioned for trend-following and stability-oriented strategies, while EPC may appeal selectively to investors with higher risk tolerance focused on a turnaround catalyst.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is CL is a StrongBuy and EPC is a Hold.
CL in upward trend: 10-day moving average crossed above 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026
The 10-day moving average for CL crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 11 of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 69%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 06, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on CL as a result. In 35 of 68 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 51%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for CL just turned positive on October 06, 2026. Looking at past instances where CL's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 24 of 43 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.
CL moved above its 50-day moving average on October 12, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a +2.13% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where CL advanced for three days, in 143 of 314 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 46%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Oscillator demonstrated that the stock has entered the overbought zone. This may point to a price pull-back soon.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 11 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where CL declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 46%.
CL broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 14, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for CL entered a downward trend on October 12, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 7 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 8 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 25 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. CL’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 46 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 87, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 65 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 100 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: CL's P/B Ratio (315.491) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (21.044). P/E Ratio (36.772) is within average values for comparable stocks, (16.942). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.577) is also within normal values, averaging (1.518). Dividend Yield (0.023) settles around the average of (0.034) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.331) is also within normal values, averaging (1.931).
EPC saw its Stochastic Oscillator recovers from the overbought zone
The Stochastic Oscillator for EPC moved out of overbought territory on October 16, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock and investors may want to consider selling or taking a defensive position. A.I.dvisor looked at 60 similar instances where the indicator exited the overbought zone. In 43 of the 60 cases the stock moved lower. This puts the odds of a downward move at 72%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where EPC declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 62%.
EPC broke above its upper Bollinger Band on September 28, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 22, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on EPC as a result. In 50 of 85 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 59%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for EPC just turned positive on October 22, 2026. Looking at past instances where EPC's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 28 of 42 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 67%.
EPC moved above its 50-day moving average on October 22, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for EPC crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 19, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 11 of 17 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 65%.
Following a +2.63% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where EPC advanced for three days, in 212 of 324 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 65%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 149 of 232 cases where EPC Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 64%.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 21 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (0.852) is normal, around the industry mean (21.044). P/E Ratio (-13.558) is within average values for comparable stocks, (16.942). EPC's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (3.530) is slightly higher than the industry average of (1.518). Dividend Yield (0.022) settles around the average of (0.034) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (0.554) is also within normal values, averaging (1.931).
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 43 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. EPC’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 92 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 98 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. EPC’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 87, placing this stock worse than average.
CL | EPC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 17 | 83 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 100 Overvalued | 21 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 46 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 8 | 92 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 25 | 43 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 7 | 98 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 65 | 85 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
EPC's Valuation (21) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is significantly better than the same rating for CL (100). This means that EPC’s stock grew significantly faster than CL’s over the last 12 months.
CL's Profit vs Risk Rating (46) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for EPC (100). This means that CL’s stock grew somewhat faster than EPC’s over the last 12 months.
CL's SMR Rating (8) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is significantly better than the same rating for EPC (92). This means that CL’s stock grew significantly faster than EPC’s over the last 12 months.
CL's Price Growth Rating (25) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as EPC (43). This means that CL’s stock grew similarly to EPC’s over the last 12 months.
CL's P/E Growth Rating (7) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is significantly better than the same rating for EPC (98). This means that CL’s stock grew significantly faster than EPC’s over the last 12 months.
| CL | EPC | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 39% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 45% | 1 day ago 72% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 59% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 56% | 1 day ago 67% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 50% | 1 day ago 64% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 61% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 46% | 10 days ago 65% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 21 days ago 46% | 4 days ago 62% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 31% | 1 day ago 70% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 46% | 1 day ago 64% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
CL’s FA Score shows that 3 FA rating(s) are green while EPC’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- CL’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
- EPC’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
CL’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while EPC’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CL’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- EPC’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
CL (@Household/Personal Care) experienced а +0.67% price change this week, while EPC (@Household/Personal Care) price change was -4.43% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +2.48%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.30%, and the average quarterly price growth was +13.34%.
Reported Earning Dates
CL is expected to report earnings on Oct 30, 2026.
EPC is expected to report earnings on Nov 12, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Household/Personal Care (+2.48% weekly)Household/Personal Care companies sell products for home cleaning and/or personal hygiene and grooming purposes. Products of this industry include detergents, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fabric conditioners and infant care fragrances. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive are some of the biggest names in the business. A lot of the products become a necessary part of people’s daily routine, and therefore the industry is relatively less vulnerable to macroeconomic downturns. At the same time, product quality, consumer safety, and ease of use are extremely critical factors for a company to survive competition and earn recognition in this industry.
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CL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, CL has been closely correlated with PG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 74% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if CL jumps, then PG could also see price increases.
EPC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, EPC has been loosely correlated with PG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 47% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if EPC jumps, then PG could also see price increases.