Do we like them?

Do we like Colgate-Palmolive?

Makes toothpaste, soap, pet food and household products (Colgate, Palmolive, Hill's). Based in the US.

Our score: 6 out of 10. A solid, long-established household-goods company. Talc lawsuits and a 'recyclable tube' false-advertising case hold it back, so we'd back it, but not with much enthusiasm.

Colgate-Palmolive is one of the biggest names in toothpaste and household goods. In 2026 its sales kept growing: trade press reported first-quarter sales up about 8% to roughly $5.3 billion.

The talc story is the oldest cloud. Its own SEC filings showed more than 100 individual talc injury cases pending in US courts in 2016. In one California case a jury awarded $13 million, and the parties then settled before punitive damages were decided.

The newer drama is about recycling. Consumers sued in 2023, saying its 'recyclable' toothpaste tubes weren't accepted by most recycling facilities. The judge let the case go ahead, a class was certified, and trial is set for April 2028. Colgate says the tube is #2 HDPE plastic, which is widely recycled.

On the good side, in January 2026 it announced a global oral-health partnership with the WHO Foundation. We'd call it a decent, steady company with some unresolved legal questions, so a middling-good score.