CL Research
Colgate-Palmolive Company
2.50%
Forward yield
$2.120 / yr per share
Yield percentile (5y)
P 92
2.1% (P10)2.3% (med)2.5% (P90)
Quality score
96/100
Strong · Low payout risk
Annual / share
$2.120
Quarterly · next ex-date 07-20 (44d)
vs 5y P90 reference
+1%
$84.86 vs $83.65 (5y P90 price)
Refreshed 2026-06-06Data coverage High — 54y history
01Fundamentals
CL offers a robust dividend profile for income investors, highlighted by 54 consecutive years of payments and an effective payout ratio of 46.0%. Despite a yield of 2.4442% below SGOV's ~4.2%, its strong fundamentals and consistent dividend growth make it compelling.
Bull caseThe company boasts an exceptional track record with 54 consecutive dividend years, supported by a 9.68% 5-year dividend growth rate and a high ROE of 363.57698% ensuring strong profitability, with free cash flow covering dividends by 2.17x ($3.634B vs. $1.672B).
Bear caseThe 2.4442% dividend yield is lower than alternative safe assets, and the 16.4x Debt/Equity ratio, while not a solvency risk due to its buyback-driven capital structure, contributes to a moderate balance sheet strength score of 10.0.
02Risk & quality
| Payout ratio | Low · 46.0% |
| Overall quality score | 96 / 100 · Strong |
Score breakdown — five dimensions, each /2020 + 20 + 18 + 7 + 10 = 96
20.0/20
Consistency
20.0/20
Payout safety
18.0/20
Moat
↓
6.5/20
Growth rate
10.0/20
Balance sheet
- Consistency 20.0/20 — CL has paid an uninterrupted dividend for 54 straight years, putting it in the Dividend King tier — the small US-listed club of 50+ year streaks. This dimension caps at 10 years, so anything past that sits well above the ceiling.
- Payout safety 20.0/20 — CL returns 46.0% of free cash flow to shareholders as dividends — well inside the comfort zone. The 80% mark is where most analysts start watching payouts closely; anything above 100% would mean the dividend is being funded from cash or borrowing rather than current profit.
- Moat 18.0/20 — Scores how protected CL's earnings stream is from competition. Operating in Consumer Defensive, CL benefits from the kind of brand pricing power, regulatory position, or scale that lets margins hold up through economic cycles. Cyclical or commodity-driven sectors typically score in the single digits here.
- Growth rate 6.5/20 — CL's dividend grew about 9.7% per year over 5 years — solid by absolute standards, but a notch below the 15-20% pace seen at growth-oriented dividend payers (think SCHD constituents). Familiar pattern for established staples already paying out most of what they earn — the runway for further hikes naturally narrows once payout ratios climb.
- Balance sheet 10.0/20 — A composite of return-on-equity and inverse leverage. CL's 363.6% ROE and a 16.4× debt-to-equity multiplier (near-zero equity, usually buyback-driven — the raw ratio loses meaning here) leaves this dimension in the middle of the pack — neither flagged for weakness nor in the financial-flexibility tier of top-scoring names.
03Price reference
$10,000at current price →$250/ yr in dividends
Math: 2.50% forward yield. Historical 5y DGR is 9.7%/yr — past growth does not guarantee future results.
Below are statistical price references from the last 5 years of trading, anchored to historical drawdown events. They describe where the price has been — not where it should be.
$68.52
$83.65
$84.86
5y P10
5y P90
Now
| Current price | $84.86 |
| 5y P90 reference (high-yield 10% tail) | $83.65 — 1.4% lower |
| 5y P10 reference (low-yield 10% tail) | $68.52 — 19.3% lower |
| 5y max observed yield (at P10 price) | 2.7% |
| Annual dividend (frozen forward) | $2.120 / share · 2.50% yield |
Historical anchor · 2008-10 Global Financial Crisis
Low $18.09 · drawdown 51 days · yield reached 3.8%
Lehman collapse triggered global credit freeze; S&P fell ~50% peak-to-trough.
Important — this is reference data, not investment advice.
Quality scores, percentiles, and price references are statistical summaries of historical data computed by our research methodology from public market data, refreshed daily. They do not constitute a buy / sell / hold recommendation, do not account for your personal financial situation, tax bracket, or goals, and past performance does not predict future results. Consult a registered investment advisor before making investment decisions. divcalc.io is not a registered investment advisor.
Quality scores, percentiles, and price references are statistical summaries of historical data computed by our research methodology from public market data, refreshed daily. They do not constitute a buy / sell / hold recommendation, do not account for your personal financial situation, tax bracket, or goals, and past performance does not predict future results. Consult a registered investment advisor before making investment decisions. divcalc.io is not a registered investment advisor.