Colgate-Palmolive (CL) Q2 2026: Fifth Straight EPS Beat at $0.99
As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on July 31, 2026.
Colgate-Palmolive extended its EPS beat streak to five quarters with a 4.5% surprise at $0.99, while volume growth accelerated for the third straight quarter despite a North America sales decline. The company raised its full-year Base Business EPS growth guidance to mid-single-digit and upgraded gross margin outlook, signaling confidence that its 2030 innovation strategy and 15% advertising surge will drive sustained growth despite volatile market conditions.
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Colgate-Palmolive reported Q2 2026 earnings per share of $0.99, topping the consensus estimate of roughly $0.95 by about 4.5%. That marks five consecutive quarters of EPS beats, a streak that stretches back to Q2 2025, and each of those quarters landed between $0.91 and $0.99 against estimates that the company consistently cleared. Revenue came in at $5.36 billion, essentially in line with the $5.36 billion consensus, leaving the top-line beat at just 0.06%.
The more notable story inside the quarter is the operational momentum. Volume growth accelerated for the third straight quarter, even as North America posted a sales decline — a tension investors will want to watch as the company leans into a 15% surge in advertising spending tied to its 2030 innovation strategy. Management appears confident enough in that trajectory to upgrade both its gross margin outlook and its full-year Base Business EPS growth guidance to the mid-single-digit range.
The raised guidance is the clearest signal yet that Colgate sees its cost and pricing strategy holding up through what it acknowledges are volatile market conditions. With gross margins moving in the right direction and the advertising investment stepping up, the key question heading into the back half of the year is whether North America volumes can turn the corner and whether that spending translates into sustained market share gains globally.
Mentioned: CL