Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) vs Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
CL leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Colgate-Palmolive Company and Costco Wholesale Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
CL
Colgate-Palmolive Company
$89.45Consumer Defensive
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$982.35Consumer Defensive
Not enough overlapping price history to compare CL and COST.
CL vs COST: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $71.58B market cap).
- •CL trades at the lower earnings multiple (34.75 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •CL converts more revenue to profit (10.04% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 4.46% CAGR).
- •CL pays the higher dividend yield (2.34% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, CL or COST?
Metric tally: CL 10 · COST 6It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueCL(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCL(higher dividend yield)
QualityCL(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | CL | COST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 34.75● | 49.41 |
| Forward P/E | 22.22● | 43.40 |
| P/S ratio | 3.46 | 1.49● |
| P/B ratio | 496.66 | 13.03● |
| PEG ratio | — | 5.23 |
| EV / EBITDA | 21.17● | 29.43 |
| FCF yield | 5.23%● | 2.02% |
Profitability
| Metric | CL | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 60.06%● | 12.88% |
| Operating margin | 21.21%● | 3.82% |
| Net margin | 10.04%● | 3.01% |
| ROE | 1439.31%● | 26.38% |
| ROIC | 30.34%● | 19.44% |
Dividends
| Metric | CL | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.34%● | 0.55% |
| Payout ratio | 79.17% | 29.44% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CL | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 4.46% | 9.48%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | -3.47% | 15.04%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 3.88% | 4.95%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 3.78% | 21.56%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, CL or COST?
- It depends on your goal. value: CL (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: CL (higher dividend yield); quality: CL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, CL leads 10 to 6.
- Is CL or COST cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, CL is cheaper: CL trades at a 34.75 P/E and COST at 49.41.
- Which has grown faster, CL or COST?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — CL at a 4.46% CAGR versus COST at 9.48%.
- Does CL or COST pay a bigger dividend?
- CL yields 2.34% and COST yields 0.55% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is CL or COST more profitable?
- CL runs the higher net margin — CL at 10.04% versus COST at 3.01%.
- Which has been the better investment, CL or COST?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — CL at 4.61% versus COST at 21.26%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Colgate-Palmolive P/E ratioCostco Wholesale P/E ratioColgate-Palmolive dividend yieldCostco Wholesale dividend yieldColgate-Palmolive ROECostco Wholesale ROEColgate-Palmolive operating marginCostco Wholesale operating marginColgate-Palmolive revenue growthCostco Wholesale revenue growthColgate-Palmolive free cash flowCostco Wholesale free cash flow
Colgate-Palmolive & Costco Wholesale appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.