Colgate-Palmolive Company’s CL innovation strategy continues to play a central role in strengthening its market position and driving growth across categories and geographies. The company has been accelerating investments in innovation, digital capabilities, AI, analytics and omnichannel demand generation to improve product quality, enhance consumer engagement and support premiumization. Management highlighted that innovation-led pricing and science-based product differentiation are helping the company maintain strong brand equity despite a sluggish global consumption environment and rising inflationary pressures.
The impact of these efforts was visible in first-quarter 2026 results. Total company organic sales increased 2.9%, supported by 1.1% volume growth and 2.2% pricing growth. Asia Pacific organic sales rose 5.6%, while Latin America organic sales increased 5.4%, reflecting strong execution of innovation and premium product initiatives. Hill’s Pet Nutrition also delivered solid organic sales growth of 2.1%, despite the negative impact from the private-label pet food exit. The company continued to maintain leadership in global toothpaste and manual toothbrush categories with year-to-date market shares of 41.1% and 32.6%, respectively.
Management particularly highlighted the success of innovation initiatives in China, Latin America and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. In Asia, dual-tube technology and premium oral care launches are gaining traction, while Latin America is benefiting from premium innovation, adjacency expansion and improved omnichannel execution. Hill’s continues to gain market share through science-based innovation and therapeutic offerings such as Prescription Diet and Science Diet, which remain strong growth drivers across premium pet nutrition segments. The company also emphasized that innovation across multiple price tiers is helping it balance affordability with premiumization opportunities.
Ultimately, Colgate’s ability to balance pricing and volume will hinge on execution rather than macro relief. Management emphasized that pricing remains necessary to offset costs and fund investment, but acknowledged that long-term growth requires volume to recover, particularly in mature markets. With a stronger innovation pipeline, expanding premiumization and more data-driven pricing and promotional tools, Colgate believes it can navigate this soft market without eroding brand equity. The path forward may be uneven, but the company’s disciplined approach suggests it is prioritizing sustainable value creation over short-term volume wins.
CL’s Zacks Rank & Share Price Performance
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 12.8% in the past six months, outperforming both the industry’s decline of 3.4% and the broader Consumer Staples sector's growth of 6.3%.
CL Stock's Six-Month Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Is CL a Value Play Stock?
Colgate currently trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 22.72X, which is higher than the industry average of 17.49X and the sector average of 16.81X. This valuation positions the stock at a premium relative to both its sector and industry peers, suggesting that investors may be pricing in stronger growth prospects, brand strength or operational efficiency compared with competitors.
CL P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to Consider
ARKO Corp. ARKO operates a chain of convenience stores in the United States. ARKO currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARKO's current fiscal-year sales implies a decline of 4.9%, while the same for current fiscal-year earnings implies growth of 93.3% from the year-ago reported figures. ARKO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 43.2%, on average.
Krispy Kreme, Inc. DNUT produces doughnuts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Japan and internationally. At present, DNUT has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DNUT’s current fiscal-year sales implies a decline of 14%, and the same for earnings implies growth of 80% from the year-ago reported figures. DNUT delivered a trailing negative four-quarter earnings surprise of 6.3%, on average.
B&G Foods, Inc. BGS manufactures, sells and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable and frozen foods and household products. BGS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for B&G Foods’ current fiscal-year earnings implies growth of 5.9% from the year-ago actuals. BGS delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 1.6%, on average.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL): Free Stock Analysis Report
B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS): Free Stock Analysis Report
ARKO Corp. (ARKO): Free Stock Analysis Report
Krispy Kreme, Inc. (DNUT): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).