Will Colgate-Palmolive’s Q4 Results Stall the Recovery in Its Stock?

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) is expected to announce its fourth-quarter earnings results on January 25. We expect the company to continue to disappoint with weak sales, margins, and earnings performances. Wall Street has also painted a gloomy picture for Colgate-Palmolive’s fourth-quarter results. Analysts expect the company’s top line to mark a YoY (year-over-over) fall. Its bottom line is also expected to fall.

Colgate-Palmolive’s fourth-quarter revenue is expected to take a hit due to adverse currency rates and persisting challenges in China and Brazil. Meanwhile, Colgate-Palmolive’s profit margins could continue to slide YoY. Weak sales and higher costs are likely to more than offset the benefits of its cost-saving measures.

Lower sales and sluggish margins are expected to hurt the company’s fourth-quarter EPS, which are expected to fall on a YoY basis.

In comparison, Wall Street expects Procter & Gamble (PG) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) to report weak quarterly financial results as well. Both Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark are expected to announce their quarterly earnings results on January 23.

Colgate-Palmolive stock has shown recovery and is up 5.2% so far this year as of January 18. In comparison, Church & Dwight (CHD) and Kimberly-Clark are up 4.0% and 2.6%, respectively. The Clorox Company (CLX) stock is flat, while Procter & Gamble stock is slightly down.