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CL or DG or KR
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Dollar General (DG) vs. Kroger (KR) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- CL exhibits resilience in consumer staples with steady demand for essentials, showing mixed recent performance amid broader economic pressures but strong long-term shareholder returns.
- DG reported robust Q4 sales growth of 5.9% and same-store sales up 4.3%, though shares dipped on conservative 2026 guidance signaling cautious consumer spending.
- KR delivered Q4 revenue of $34.7 billion with improved gross margins at 23.1%, supported by pharmacy and eCommerce growth, driving year-to-date gains of about 19%.
- Relative performance highlights KR's momentum in grocery retail, while CL offers defensive stability and DG faces near-term headwinds from tempered outlook.
- All three benefit from essential goods exposure but differ in growth drivers: CL via global brands, DG rural value, and KR digital expansion.
Introduction
This stock comparison examines Colgate-Palmolive (CL), a leading household and personal care products company; Dollar General (DG), a discount retailer focused on rural markets; and Kroger (KR), a major grocery chain with strong pharmacy and eCommerce segments. These consumer defensive names provide insights into relative performance amid volatile market conditions, inflation concerns, and shifting consumer behaviors. Traders seeking stability in essentials and investors tracking sector rotation will find value in analyzing their recent momentum, operational updates, and positioning for ongoing economic uncertainty.
CL Overview and Recent Performance
Colgate-Palmolive (CL) manufactures and markets oral care, personal care, home care, and pet nutrition products globally, holding the top spot in toothpaste market share. In recent market activity, the stock has shown choppy trading with negative monthly returns but solid year-to-date gains around 13-14% and a 30.52% three-year total shareholder return. Influences include steady demand for essentials offsetting inflation and oil price pressures, alongside a recent quarterly dividend increase to $0.53 per share and emphasis on AI-driven productivity. Q4 2025 results beat expectations with emerging market growth, supporting sentiment despite broader volatility.
DG Overview and Recent Performance
Dollar General (DG) operates over 20,800 discount stores in the U.S. and Mexico, emphasizing value essentials in rural communities. Recent performance featured strong Q4 fiscal 2025 results, with net sales up 5.9% to $10.9 billion and same-store sales rising 4.3%, driven by traffic and basket growth. Full-year sales reached $42.7 billion. However, shares fell on tempered fiscal 2026 guidance of 3.7-4.2% sales growth, reflecting cautious consumer selectivity amid economic uncertainty. Operational advances in inventory, shrink reduction, and delivery expansion bolstered margins, though competition from larger rivals weighs on sentiment.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
Kroger (KR), one of the largest U.S. grocery retailers, manages supermarkets, pharmacies, and fuel centers across 35 states. Recent weeks saw positive momentum with Q4 revenue at $34.7 billion, up 2.1%, and identical sales without fuel rising 2.4%, aided by gross margin expansion to 23.1%. Year-to-date performance reached about 19%, with analysts lifting price targets amid eCommerce profitability path and pharmacy strength. Strategic shifts, including clinic closures to refocus on core grocery, have enhanced operational discipline and relative strength versus retail peers.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
CL, DG, and KR operate in consumer defensive spaces but diverge in models: CL's global branded essentials offer low-cyclicality and emerging market leverage, contrasting DG's rural discount focus vulnerable to spending pullbacks, and KR's integrated grocery-pharmacy scale with digital upside. Recent momentum favors KR (19% YTD) over CL (13-14%) and DG (flat YTD post-dip); risk factors include commodity inflation for CL, guidance conservatism for DG, and competition for KR. Valuation sensitivity ties to staples stability, with DG potentially undervalued at 25% below intrinsic estimates despite sales strength. Market sentiment leans toward KR's execution amid retail rotation.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI analysis currently favors KR due to consistent trend strength, eCommerce catalysts, and superior relative YTD positioning versus peers. While CL provides stability and DG value potential post-dip, KR's profitability momentum and analyst upgrades suggest higher probability of outperformance in defensive rotations.
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. Disclaimers and Limitations
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 1 FA rating(s) are green whileDG’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s), and KR’s FA Score reflects 2 green FA rating(s).
- CL’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- DG’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 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 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while DG’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and KR’s TA Score reflects 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CL’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- DG’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- KR’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
CL (@Household/Personal Care) experienced а -0.94% price change this week, while DG (@Discount Stores) price change was -2.89% , and KR (@Food Retail) price fluctuated -6.03% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +2.76%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.20%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.38%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Discount Stores industry was -0.78%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.41%, and the average quarterly price growth was +9.75%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was +0.67%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.48%, and the average quarterly price growth was +2.76%.
Reported Earning Dates
CL is expected to report earnings on May 01, 2026.
DG is expected to report earnings on May 21, 2026.
KR is expected to report earnings on Jun 11, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Household/Personal Care (+2.76% 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.
@Discount Stores (-0.78% weekly)Companies in the discount stores industry specialize in offering substantial discounts on a vast array of retail products. Some companies in this industry also operate general merchandise warehouse clubs. Products sold at discount stores are typically similar to those of any department store, but the pricing of the goods is generally much lower (and hence the name “discount”). Think Dollar General Corporation, Dollar Tree, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. Many discount stores target low-income households and/or price-sensitive consumers as their potential market. Discount stores’ profitability could hinge on factors like competitive pricing, sufficient locations, healthy revenue per square foot, and effective advertisement. These store operators could have an edge over other retailers during financial crises or recessions, when many consumers could be looking for less expensive alternatives.
@Food Retail (+0.67% weekly)The food retail industry includes companies that sell food, beverage and household products. Items sold include grocery, gourmet food, fresh produce, and frozen food. Kroger Co., George Weston Ltd., Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., and Sprouts Farmers Markets, Inc. are examples of major food retailers. While e-commerce companies like Amazon have increasingly been ramping-up offerings in the food retail space, several traditional players have also been expanding their online presence to stand their ground against rising competition.
| CL | DG | KR | |
| Capitalization | 67.7B | 25.5B | 41.6B |
| EBITDA | 3.96B | 3.24B | 5.43B |
| Gain YTD | 7.386 | -12.047 | 9.365 |
| P/E Ratio | 32.07 | 16.89 | 44.15 |
| Revenue | 20.4B | 42.7B | 147B |
| Total Cash | 1.29B | N/A | 879M |
| Total Debt | 8.55B | 15.7B | 25.2B |
CL | DG | KR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 63 | 5 | 56 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 98 Overvalued | 31 Undervalued | 55 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 66 | 100 | 23 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 5 | 45 | 77 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 56 | 59 | 50 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 39 | 62 | 10 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
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.
DG's Valuation (31) in the Discount Stores industry is in the same range as KR (55) in the Food Retail industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for CL (98) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that DG's stock grew similarly to KR’s and significantly faster than CL’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Profit vs Risk Rating (23) in the Food Retail industry is somewhat better than the same rating for CL (66) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for DG (100) in the Discount Stores industry. This means that KR's stock grew somewhat faster than CL’s and significantly faster than DG’s over the last 12 months.
CL's SMR Rating (5) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is somewhat better than the same rating for DG (45) in the Discount Stores industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for KR (77) in the Food Retail industry. This means that CL's stock grew somewhat faster than DG’s and significantly faster than KR’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Price Growth Rating (50) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as CL (56) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is in the same range as DG (59) in the Discount Stores industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to CL’s and similarly to DG’s over the last 12 months.
KR's P/E Growth Rating (10) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as CL (39) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for DG (62) in the Discount Stores industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to CL’s and somewhat faster than DG’s over the last 12 months.
| CL | DG | KR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 56% | 2 days ago 63% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 60% | 2 days ago 68% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 39% | 2 days ago 72% | 2 days ago 49% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 52% | 2 days ago 39% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 47% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 53% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 6 days ago 62% | 6 days ago 57% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 43% | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 47% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | 2 days ago 58% | 2 days ago 69% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 60% | 2 days ago 58% |
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| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| JIRE | 79.72 | 0.09 | +0.11% |
| JPMorgan International Rsrch Enh Eq ETF | |||
| STXG | 49.37 | 0.05 | +0.10% |
| Strive 1000 Growth ETF | |||
| LJAN | 24.50 | N/A | -0.02% |
| Innovator Premium Income 15 Buf ETF -Jan | |||
| GTOS | 25.02 | -0.01 | -0.04% |
| Invesco Short Duration Total ReturnBdETF | |||
| LVHD | 43.03 | -0.36 | -0.83% |
| Franklin U.S. Low Volatility Hi Div ETF | |||
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 72% 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.
KR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KR has been loosely correlated with ACI. These tickers have moved in lockstep 56% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if KR jumps, then ACI could also see price increases.