Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) is a global consumer products company specializing in oral care, personal care, and home care. It is a dominant force in the market, holding leading shares in toothpaste and manual toothbrushes. On May 1, 2026, Colgate-Palmolive announced its first-quarter earnings results before the market opened.
The company posted a Base Business earnings per share (EPS) of $0.97, which beat analyst estimates of $0.95. This EPS figure, which shows core business performance by excluding certain items, grew 7% from the prior year. This marks the fourth straight quarter that the company has surpassed EPS estimates.
Revenue for the quarter came in at $5.32 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. This represents an 8.4% increase in net sales from the $4.91 billion reported in the same quarter a year ago. As highlighted by Reuters, this growth was driven by strong international demand.
While sales grew, the company's gross profit margin saw a slight decline of 20 basis points to 60.6%. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 147.93. This financial metric indicates that the company uses more debt than shareholder equity to finance its assets, which can increase risk but also potential returns.
For the first three months of 2026, net cash from operations was a solid $747 million. Looking ahead, Colgate reaffirmed its full-year guidance for both sales and EPS. This signals the company's confidence in its financial performance for the remainder of the year while it maintains its market leadership.
