CL vs EL: Colgate-Palmolive and Estee Lauder Companies compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Colgate-Palmolive is the larger company, worth $70.8B, about 1.9 times Estee Lauder Companies.
- Estee Lauder Companies grew revenue faster over the last year (+6.3% vs +4.9%).
- Colgate-Palmolive keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (14.9% vs 5.2%).
- Estee Lauder Companies's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 10% a year, against 5% for Colgate-Palmolive (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | CL | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $70.8B | $38.1B |
| Share price | $88.27 | $98.05 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $20.4B | $15.0B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $3.6B | $1.3B |
| Revenue growth, last year | +4.9% | +6.3% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +4.0% | -4.0% |
| Operating margin | 14.9% | 5.2% |
| Net margin | 9.7% | 1.2% |
| Return on equity | 863.1% | 4.8% |
| P/E (trailing) | 34.3x | — |
| Price / free cash flow | 19.5x | 29.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 20.1x | 24.8x |
| FCF growth the price implies | 4.7% | 9.8% |
| Dividend yield | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| Debt / equity | 68.7x | 4.19x |
| Fundamental grade | D | D |
| Superinvestors holding it | 9 | 5 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 0 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Colgate-Palmolive
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $17.4B | $2.8B | 19.1% |
| 2022 | $18.0B | $1.9B | 16.1% |
| 2023 | $19.5B | $3.0B | 20.5% |
| 2024 | $20.1B | $3.5B | 21.2% |
| 2025 | $20.4B | $3.6B | 16.2% |
Estee Lauder Companies
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $17.7B | $2.0B | 17.9% |
| 2023 | $15.9B | $728M | 9.5% |
| 2024 | $15.6B | $1.4B | 6.2% |
| 2025 | $14.3B | $670M | -5.5% |
| 2026 | $15.0B | $1.3B | 5.2% |
Where the revenue comes from
Colgate-Palmolive · by segments, 2025
Total Oral, Personal and Home Care$15.8B77%
Pet Nutrition$4.6B23%
Estee Lauder Companies · by regions, 2026
All other countries$7.4B49%
Mainland China$3.9B26%
U.S.$3.7B25%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open CL in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Colgate-Palmolive or Estee Lauder Companies?
Colgate-Palmolive (CL), at $70.8B against $38.1B.
Which grows faster, CL or EL?
Estee Lauder Companies: revenue grew +6.3% over the last year, against +4.9%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.