CL vs WMT

For growth investors, Walmart Inc.

(WMT) is the stronger pick with 4. 7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 4% for Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL). Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) offers the better valuation at 33. 5x trailing P/E (22. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Walmart Inc. (WMT) a "Buy" — based on 64 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) is the cheapest at 33.

5x versus Walmart Inc. at 47. 6x. On forward P/E, Colgate-Palmolive Company is actually cheaper at 22. 9x.

Over the past 5 years, Walmart Inc.

(WMT) delivered a total return of +185. 3%, compared to +19. 0% for Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WMT returned +499. 5% versus CL's +47. 0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) is the lower-risk stock at -0.

00β versus Walmart Inc. 's 0. 12β — meaning WMT is approximately -2755% more volatile than CL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Walmart Inc. (WMT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 67% versus 22% for Colgate-Palmolive Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Walmart Inc.

(WMT) is pulling ahead at 4. 7% versus 1. 4% for Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Walmart Inc. grew EPS 13. 3% year-over-year, compared to -25. 1% for Colgate-Palmolive Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, WMT leads at 5. 3% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) is the more profitable company, earning 10.

5% net margin versus 3. 1% for Walmart Inc. — meaning it keeps 10. 5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CL leads at 21. 3% versus 4. 2% for WMT. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CL leads at 60. 1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) trades at 22.

9x forward P/E versus 44. 7x for Walmart Inc. — 21. 8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CL: 6. 3% to $93. 70.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) offers the highest yield at 2. 5%, versus 0. 7% for Walmart Inc. (WMT).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Walmart Inc.

(WMT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 12), 0. 7% yield, +499. 5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WMT: +499. 5%, CL: +47. 0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Consumer Defensive sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.