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CL vs UL
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Unilever (UL) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both CL and UL operate in the consumer staples sector, offering defensive qualities amid market volatility.
- UL shows stronger year-to-date (YTD) performance at 11.41% compared to CL's 9.37%.
- UL trades at a lower price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 18.91 versus CL's 32.46, suggesting better relative valuation.
- UL offers a higher dividend yield of 3.86% compared to CL's 2.52%.
- Upcoming quarterly results for both—CL on May 1 and UL on April 30—could drive near-term momentum.
- UL's recent foods business merger with McCormick adds a growth catalyst absent in CL.
Introduction
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Unilever (UL) stand as pillars in the consumer staples sector, providing essential household and personal care products. This stock comparison analyzes their recent market positioning, performance, and key drivers, aiding investors seeking stable, dividend-paying options in defensive portfolios. Traders focused on relative performance and upcoming catalysts will find insights into momentum, valuation, and sector dynamics particularly relevant in the current environment of economic uncertainty and tariff discussions.
CL Overview and Recent Performance
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) is a global leader in oral care, personal care, home care, and pet nutrition, with a strong footprint in emerging markets. In recent market activity, its shares have risen approximately 9% year-to-date, trading around $85 within a 52-week range of $74.55 to $99.33. Sentiment has been buoyed by expectations for Q1 2026 earnings on May 1, with analysts forecasting earnings per share (EPS) growth and revenue around $5.22 billion. However, concerns over tariffs and input costs have tempered optimism, though the company's supply-chain efficiencies and pricing power have supported a 4.4% gain over the past three months, outperforming the industry. Market cap stands at $68.5 billion, reflecting steady defensive appeal with low beta of 0.33.
UL Overview and Recent Performance
Unilever (UL) delivers a broad portfolio of consumer goods across beauty & wellbeing, personal care, home care, nutrition, and ice cream, emphasizing power brands and global reach. Shares have advanced about 11% YTD, closing near $57.50 in a 52-week range of $54.95 to $74.98, with a market cap of $125.6 billion. Recent weeks feature anticipation for the Q1 2026 trading statement on April 30, alongside the transformative merger of its foods business with McCormick, poised to streamline operations and boost growth in high-margin areas. Analyst upgrades, including RBC Capital to Sector Perform, have lifted sentiment, supported by underlying sales growth guidance of 4-6% for 2026. Low beta of 0.46 underscores its stability.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
CL and UL share consumer staples exposure but diverge in business models: CL's concentrated focus on oral and pet care yields higher margins (10.46%) but narrower diversification, while UL's broader portfolio drives scale with 18.75% profit margins and stronger free cash flow ($6.27B vs. $3.08B). Growth drivers favor UL via volume expansion and the McCormick deal, contrasting CL's premiumization in developing markets. Recent momentum tilts to UL with superior YTD gains and lower P/E, though CL offers tighter ROE. Risk profiles are similar (low betas), but UL faces higher debt/equity (160.79%). Market sentiment is positive for both pre-earnings, with UL attracting income seekers via dividends.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron's AI currently leans toward UL based on superior YTD momentum, attractive valuation, higher dividend yield, and catalysts like the Q1 statement and strategic merger. While CL exhibits trend consistency and emerging market stability, UL's relative positioning suggests higher probability of outperformance in the near term amid defensive sector rotation.
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 Disclaimers and Limitations.
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 Hold and UL is a Hold.
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 undervalued. 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 2 FA rating(s) are green whileUL’s FA Score has 0 green FA rating(s).
- CL’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- UL’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 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 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UL’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CL’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- UL’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
CL (@Household/Personal Care) experienced а +0.66% price change this week, while UL (@Household/Personal Care) price change was -2.77% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was -1.57%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -3.59%, and the average quarterly price growth was -4.91%.
Reported Earning Dates
CL is expected to report earnings on Jul 31, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Household/Personal Care (-1.57% 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.
| CL | UL | CL / UL | |
| Capitalization | 70.5B | 124B | 57% |
| EBITDA | 3.9B | 11.1B | 35% |
| Gain YTD | 12.909 | -12.519 | -103% |
| P/E Ratio | 34.16 | 18.53 | 184% |
| Revenue | 20.8B | 50.5B | 41% |
| Total Cash | 1.34B | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 7.97B | N/A | - |
CL | UL | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 50 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 98 Overvalued | 39 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 68 | 94 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 6 | 95 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 51 | 78 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 22 | 74 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | n/a |
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.
UL's Valuation (39) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for CL (98). This means that UL’s stock grew somewhat faster than CL’s over the last 12 months.
CL's Profit vs Risk Rating (68) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as UL (94). This means that CL’s stock grew similarly to UL’s over the last 12 months.
CL's SMR Rating (6) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is significantly better than the same rating for UL (95). This means that CL’s stock grew significantly faster than UL’s over the last 12 months.
CL's Price Growth Rating (51) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as UL (78). This means that CL’s stock grew similarly to UL’s over the last 12 months.
CL's P/E Growth Rating (22) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for UL (74). This means that CL’s stock grew somewhat faster than UL’s over the last 12 months.
| CL | UL | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 35% | 4 days ago 33% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 48% | 4 days ago 40% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | N/A | N/A |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 47% | 4 days ago 45% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 50% | 4 days ago 46% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 43% | 18 days ago 41% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 28 days ago 44% | 4 days ago 43% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 36% | 4 days ago 52% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 38% | 4 days ago 27% |
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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.
UL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UL has been loosely correlated with PG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 64% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if UL jumps, then PG could also see price increases.