Colgate-Palmolive exploring $1B divestment of select brands, Reuters reports

Colgate-Palmolive is considering selling some personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring, and Speed Stick, potentially fetching over $1 billion. The company is working with Goldman Sachs on the process. Colgate's stock is up 11% year-to-date, with net sales rising 4.9% in the latest quarter, though North American organic sales fell 3%. The personal care unit accounts for 17% of net sales.

Procter & Gamble (PG) raised its dividend for 70 consecutive years, with fiscal 2026 free cash flow of $15.835B. Coca-Cola (KO) reported 5% unit case volume growth, its strongest in 17 years. Colgate-Palmolive (CL) saw 16.12% YTD stock growth and raised its dividend. All three companies demonstrated recession-resilient cash flows and dividend increases.

Procter & Gamble (PG) and Colgate-Palmolive (CL) recently paid dividends. PG offers a higher yield (2.93%) and better coverage, while CL has stronger recent price performance. PG plans to return $15B to shareholders in fiscal 2027, including $10B in dividends. CL trades at a higher P/E (35x) with a smaller yield (2.33%).

Motilal Oswal reaffirmed a BUY rating for Colgate-Palmolive India, setting a price target of Rs 2,500, a 27% upside from the current price of Rs 1,965. The brokerage values the company at 40 times its estimated March 2027 earnings, citing strong growth pillars, premiumisation, and high margins. Colgate's strategy focuses on consumption creation and scientific premiumisation, with a 52-week range of Rs 1,782–2,505.

Spectrum Brands (SPB) reported Q2 revenue of $753.3M, up 7.7% YoY, beating estimates. Energizer (ENR) reported $734.1M, up 1.2%, exceeding revenue expectations but missing EPS and EBITDA. Church & Dwight (CHD) reported $1.53B, up 1.6%, beating revenue estimates. Reynolds (REYN) reported $944M, flat YoY, surpassing revenue expectations. Stocks reacted mixedly post-earnings.

Colgate-Palmolive India has appointed Manish Anandani as its next CEO, effective September 28, 2026. Anandani, currently at Kenvue, will replace Prabha Narasimhan, who is moving to a regional marketing role. The company's shares are down 19% year-over-year, underperforming the Nifty 50 index.