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CL or KR or MO
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Colgate-Palmolive (CL) vs. Kroger (KR) vs. Altria Group (MO) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- CL shares trade around $90 with YTD gains of approximately 14%, supported by steady demand for oral care essentials and recent product launches like Optic White Pro Series.
- KR leads YTD performance at over 19% around $74, driven by Q4 revenue growth to $34.7 billion and improved gross margins amid e-commerce expansion.
- MO shows solid YTD returns near 16% at about $67, bolstered by strong cash flows and dividend payouts despite flat recent revenues.
- All three stocks exhibit resilience in consumer staples, with KR showing strongest recent momentum from operational efficiencies and analyst price target raises.
- Relative performance highlights KR's edge in growth drivers like identical sales up 2.4% without fuel, contrasting MO's volume pressures in cigarettes.
- Valuation sensitivity favors defensive plays like CL, trading below analyst targets amid premium product focus.
Introduction
This stock comparison examines CL, KR, and MO, three stalwarts in consumer staples representing personal care, grocery retail, and tobacco. These stocks offer stability amid market volatility, appealing to income-focused investors seeking dividends and defensive positioning. Traders may value their relative performance in recent market activity, where essentials demand persists despite economic pressures. Key metrics like YTD returns, earnings momentum, and sector catalysts provide insights into their current market positioning and potential trade-offs in a dynamic environment.
CL Overview and Recent Performance
Colgate-Palmolive (CL), a global leader in oral, personal, home care, and pet nutrition, generates steady revenue from iconic brands like Colgate toothpaste and Hill's Science Diet. In recent weeks, shares have hovered around $90, reflecting YTD gains of about 14% amid choppy trading. Q4 2025 earnings beat estimates with $5.23 billion in revenue and $0.95 EPS, up from prior year, fueled by 1.4% organic sales growth despite raw material inflation. Sentiment benefits from premium launches like Optic White Pro Series and emerging market strength, though North America softness and valuation discounts temper upside. Broader stability stems from resilient essentials demand.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
The Kroger Co. (KR), one of the largest U.S. grocery retailers, operates supermarkets, pharmacies, and fuel centers, emphasizing e-commerce and fresh categories. Shares trade near $74 with robust YTD performance exceeding 19%, boosted by recent highs. Q4 results showed $34.7 billion revenue (up 2.1% YoY) and EPS of $1.28 beating forecasts, with identical sales without fuel at 2.4% and gross margins at 23.1%. Influences include operational efficiencies, pharmacy growth, and e-commerce hitting $16 billion annually, alongside clinic closures to refocus core grocery. Positive analyst revisions reflect strategic momentum.
MO Overview and Recent Performance
Altria Group (MO), dominant in U.S. tobacco via Marlboro cigarettes and smokeless brands like Copenhagen and on!, diversifies into oral nicotine pouches. Shares around $67 post YTD gains near 16%, with recent stability. Q4 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.30 slightly missed but full-year growth hit 4.4%, returning $8 billion to shareholders. Revenues dipped modestly amid 7.9% cigarette volume decline, offset by smoke-free share gains to over 50% of nicotine market. Cash flow strength and dividends drive sentiment, though regulatory and transition risks linger.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
CL, KR, and MO anchor consumer staples but diverge in models: CL's branded essentials yield pricing power in oral care (60%+ gross margins), contrasting KR's volume-driven retail with e-commerce catalysts (2-3% identical growth). MO relies on tobacco cash cows amid declining volumes, pivoting to smoke-free (on! pouches). Recent momentum favors KR (19%+ YTD) over CL (14%) and MO (16%), tied to efficiencies vs. input costs or regulations. Risks include commodity inflation for CL/retail, health trends for MO. Valuations show CL at discounts, KR premium on growth, MO yield appeal (7-8%). Sentiment tilts toward retail resilience.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently leans toward KR based on superior trend consistency, YTD outperformance, and catalysts like e-commerce profitability gains projected at $400 million in 2026. Its relative stability in grocery essentials, coupled with recent earnings beats and analyst upgrades, positions it favorably against CL's steady but slower growth and MO's volume headwinds. Probabilistic edge favors KR for near-term momentum in consumer staples.
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 whileKR’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and MO’s FA Score reflects 4 green FA rating(s).
- CL’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- MO’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 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 KR’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and MO’s TA Score reflects 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CL’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 3 bearish.
- KR’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- MO’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
CL (@Household/Personal Care) experienced а +1.74% price change this week, while KR (@Food Retail) price change was +0.29% , and MO (@Tobacco) price fluctuated -4.76% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +0.96%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +3.95%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.44%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was +2.31%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.04%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.08%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Tobacco industry was -1.34%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.47%, and the average quarterly price growth was -9.25%.
Reported Earning Dates
CL is expected to report earnings on May 01, 2026.
KR is expected to report earnings on Jun 11, 2026.
MO is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Household/Personal Care (+0.96% 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.
@Food Retail (+2.31% 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.
@Tobacco (-1.34% weekly)The industry is engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products like cigarettes. In 2017, tobacco companies spent an estimated $9.36 billion marketing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the U.S. – an amount that translates to more than $25 million each day (according to a CDC report). Philip Morris International Inc., Altria Group Inc., and British American Tobacco plc are some major cigar makers. In recent times, vaping or the use of e-cigarette (does not burn tobacco) is gaining momentum – several established cigarette makers are trying to expand their footprint in this new market.
| CL | KR | MO | |
| Capitalization | 68.8B | 41.8B | 107B |
| EBITDA | 3.96B | 5.76B | 10.8B |
| Gain YTD | 9.258 | 9.686 | 13.155 |
| P/E Ratio | 32.63 | 44.28 | 15.58 |
| Revenue | 20.4B | 148B | 20.1B |
| Total Cash | 1.29B | 4.58B | N/A |
| Total Debt | 8.55B | 24.7B | 25.7B |
CL | KR | MO | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 65 | 54 | 55 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 98 Overvalued | 55 Fair valued | 8 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 65 | 24 | 14 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 5 | 56 | 9 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 59 | 59 | 52 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 43 | 10 | 15 | |
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.
MO's Valuation (8) in the Tobacco industry is somewhat better than the same rating for 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 MO's stock grew somewhat faster than KR’s and significantly faster than CL’s over the last 12 months.
MO's Profit vs Risk Rating (14) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as KR (24) in the Food Retail industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for CL (65) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that MO's stock grew similarly to KR’s and somewhat faster than CL’s over the last 12 months.
CL's SMR Rating (5) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as MO (9) in the Tobacco industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for KR (56) in the Food Retail industry. This means that CL's stock grew similarly to MO’s and somewhat faster than KR’s over the last 12 months.
MO's Price Growth Rating (52) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as CL (59) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is in the same range as KR (59) in the Food Retail industry. This means that MO's stock grew similarly to CL’s and similarly to KR’s over the last 12 months.
KR's P/E Growth Rating (10) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as MO (15) in the Tobacco industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for CL (43) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to MO’s and somewhat faster than CL’s over the last 12 months.
| CL | KR | MO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 57% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 58% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 35% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 54% | 2 days ago 40% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 62% | 2 days ago 40% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 31% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 57% | 10 days ago 53% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 43% | 4 days ago 46% | 4 days ago 37% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 57% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 23% |
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