Colgate-Palmolive rises 2.2% as the consumer defensive sector gains

What happened

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) rose 2.2% on November 2, 2026, as the Consumer Defensive sector median rose 1.8%, a move driven by sector momentum rather than company-specific news. The stock opened 1.1% above the previous close and finished at a closing price of $97.43 on volume that was 1.0 times its 20-day average. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% on the day; the stock outperformed its sector by 0.4 percentage points and posted a five-session gain of 4.7% while the S&P 500 fell 1.8% over the same span.

How big was the move

The one-day rise of 2.2% was 1.7 times a typical daily move for the stock and matched the direction of the sector, supporting the view that the move was sector-wide. Trading volume was in line with recent activity, indicating no extreme departure from normal liquidity. The stock’s market sensitivity is low with a beta of 0.15, meaning the stock tends to move less than the market. In the past five years there were 35 sessions with a gain of at least 2.2%; twenty trading days later the median result was a decline of 0.7%, and 17 of 35 were higher.

The technical picture

The stock was 5.6% above its 20-day moving average and 8.6% above its 50-day average, and it was 8.6% above its 200-day average at the close. The stock had spent 16 consecutive trading days above the 200-day average. The 50-day average is below the 200-day average, a sign of a weak longer-term trend despite the recent rally. The Relative Strength Index (14 days) was 66, which sits between 30 and 70, a neutral range. Shorter-term momentum looked healthy: the change over one month rose 15.6% and the change over three months rose 5.3%. The stock was 1.9% below its 52-week high at the close.

Volatility was elevated relative to its recent history, at 21% annualized over 60 days, which is higher than 75% of its own readings over five years. That suggests larger-than-usual swings for the stock compared with its history.

Fundamentals and valuation

For the four quarters through September 30, 2026, revenue was $21.28 billion, which grew 5.9% from a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share for that period were $2.55, and earnings per share growth from a year earlier fell 28.5%. Gross margin was 60.6% compared with 60.2% a year earlier, while operating margin was 20.5% versus 21.6% a year earlier. Free-cash-flow margin was 17.8% and return on invested capital was 29.9%. The balance sheet showed net debt of 1.6 times EBITDA, and share count over one year decreased by 1.4%.

Valuation remains rich. Price to trailing earnings is 38.1 times trailing earnings, a figure that is higher than 90% of its own readings over the past five years (five-year median: 31.8 times earnings). Price to forward earnings is 25.3 times expected earnings and free-cash-flow yield stood at 5.0%. PromtFinance scores rank Colgate-Palmolive as Value 12 (Very weak), Growth 53 (Neutral), Quality 99 (Exceptional), Momentum 81 (Strong), Revisions 51 (Neutral) and Stability 89 (Strong).

Earnings and analyst expectations

The company last reported on October 30, 2026, with earnings per share of $0.97 against $0.93 expected, 4.8% above estimates. That marked the 15th consecutive quarter beating estimates, and the average surprise over the last four reports was 4.1% above estimates. Typical two-day reaction after recent reports has been modest, with the stock rising 0.9% on average. The next report is scheduled for January 29, 2027.

Analysts offer a consensus rating of Hold with 45 analysts covering the stock. The consensus price target is $100.14, which is 2.8% above the closing price, and 40% of analysts rate the stock Buy or Strong Buy.

What to watch

• October 30, 2026: last report — earnings per share of $0.97 against $0.93 expected, 4.8% above estimates
• January 29, 2027: next scheduled earnings report
• Price to trailing earnings: 38.1 times trailing earnings, higher than 90% of its readings over the past five years
• Time above the 200-day average: 16 consecutive trading days
• Change over one month: rose 15.6%