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Colgate-Palmolive CoXSWX:CL +0.58%88 Cash Ratio is 0.22 as of Mar. 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 0.22. GuruFocus rates XSWX:CL with a GF Score™ of 88/100 and a GF Value™ of CHF75.54 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,928 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Colgate-Palmolive Co ranks worse than 64.68% on this metric.
Colgate-Palmolive Co has a Cash Ratio of 0.22. It indicates that there are more current liabilities than Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities, and the company does not have sufficient cash on hand to pay off its short-term debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:CL'
s Cash Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.16 Med: 0.22 Max: 0.45
Current: 0.22
During the past 13 years, Colgate-Palmolive Co's highest Cash Ratio was 0.45. The lowest was 0.16. And the median was 0.22.
XSWX:CL's Cash Ratio is ranked worse than 64.68% of 1928
companies
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
Industry Median: 0.4
vs XSWX:CL: 0.22
Colgate-Palmolive Co (XSWX:CL) Cash Ratio Explanation
The cash ratio is more conservative than other liquidity ratios, such as Quick Ratio and Current Ratio, because it only considers a company's most liquid resources. The numerator of cash ratio only considers Cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities. Other current assets, such as accounts receivable and inventories, are not included. The rationale is that these assets may require time to be transformed into cash, and the amount of money received is also uncertain.
The cash ratio shows a company’s ability to pay all current liabilities immediately without selling or liquidating other assets. Generally speaking, a higher cash ratio suggests the company has a stronger ability to cover its short-term debt. However, a high cash ratio could also indicate inefficient management: the company is inefficient in making full utilization of cash to invest protential profitable project. It may also suggest that the company is not confident about future profitability.
In general, the higher the cash ratio, the better the company's liquidity position.
Colgate-Palmolive Co Cash Ratio Related Terms
Colgate-Palmolive Co Cash Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Household & Personal Products subindustry, Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cash Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Colgate-Palmolive Co Cash Ratio vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Colgate-Palmolive Co (XSWX:CL) has a Cash Ratio of 0.22 as of Mar. 2026. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Colgate-Palmolive Co and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.22. Over the past decade, Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.16 to 0.45. According to the industry distribution chart, Colgate-Palmolive Co ranks #1247 out of 1928 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 64.7%.
Is Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio too high?
Colgate-Palmolive Co's current Cash Ratio of 0.22 is near median its 10-year median of 0.22. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.16 to a high of 0.45. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry median Cash Ratio is 0.40. Colgate-Palmolive Co's value of 0.22 is 45% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Colgate-Palmolive Co ranks #1247 out of 1928 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Colgate-Palmolive Co has a GF Score™ of 88/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Colgate-Palmolive Co's Cash Ratio compare to KVUE and KMB?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Colgate-Palmolive Co ranks #1247 out of 1928 companies for Cash Ratio. This places Colgate-Palmolive Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Cash Ratio is 0.40. Colgate-Palmolive Co's value of 0.22 is 45% below this benchmark. Historically, Colgate-Palmolive Co's own Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.16 to 0.45 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.22 vs. the industry median of 0.40, Colgate-Palmolive Co has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cash Ratio for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median Cash Ratio among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 0.40, based on 1,928 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cash Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cash Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Colgate-Palmolive Co's current Cash Ratio of 0.22 is 45% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cash Ratio mean?
A high Cash Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Colgate-Palmolive Co and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median Cash Ratio is 0.40 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Colgate-Palmolive Co's current Cash Ratio is 0.22, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.22. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Colgate-Palmolive Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Colgate-Palmolive Co (XSWX:CL) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF75.54, compared to a current price of CHF74.91 — trading 0.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Cash Ratio is 0.22, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.22 and 45% below the Consumer Packaged Goods industry median of 0.40. Colgate-Palmolive Co's overall GF Score™ is 88/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cash Ratio calculated?
Cash Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Colgate-Palmolive Co (XSWX:CL), the current Cash Ratio is 0.22 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Colgate-Palmolive Co (XSWX:CL) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Colgate-Palmolive Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of CHF74.91 is trading 0.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF75.54.
GuruFocus considers Colgate-Palmolive Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:CL:
Cash Ratio: 0.22 (near median its 10-year median of 0.22)
GF Value™: CHF75.54 vs. price of CHF74.91 (0.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 45% below the Consumer Packaged Goods median (#1247 of 1928)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:CL stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Since its founding in 1806, Colgate-Palmolive has grown into a leading player in the household and personal care industry. In addition to its namesake oral care line (which accounts for more than 40% of its total sales), the firm manufactures shampoos, shower gels, deodorants, and home care products sold in over 200 countries. International sales account for about 70% of its total business, including nearly half from emerging regions. It also owns specialty pet food maker Hill's (almost one-fourth of sales), which sells the majority of its products through veterinarians and specialty pet retailers.
88GF Score
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