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Key Factors to Note Ahead of Colgate's (CL) Q4 Earnings

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Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL - Free Report) is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports fourth-quarter 2021 numbers on Jan 28, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $4.4 billion, which indicates a rise of 2.6% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

The company’s bottom line is expected to be 79 cents per share, suggesting growth of 2.6% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been unchanged in the past 30 days. The company has delivered an earnings surprise of 0.6%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

ColgatePalmolive Company Price and EPS Surprise

 

ColgatePalmolive Company Price and EPS Surprise

ColgatePalmolive Company price-eps-surprise | ColgatePalmolive Company Quote

Key Aspects to Note

The leading global consumer products company is expected to have been gaining from consumer demand for personal care, hygiene and home care products. Colgate has been driving growth via product innovation, in-store implementation and expansion plans. Increased focus on premiumization and digital transformation also bodes well. These are likely to have aided fourth-quarter 2021 performance.

The company is focused on the premiumization of its Oral Care portfolio through major innovations. Its premium innovation products, including CO. by Colgate, Colgate Elixir toothpaste and Colgate enzyme whitening toothpaste, have been performing well. This is expected to have boosted organic sales growth for its oral care business in the fourth quarter.

Colgate’s Hill's business continues to witness momentum, which is expected to have delivered sales growth in the fourth quarter. Strength in Hill's Prescription Diet and Hill's Science Diet has been aiding sales for the segment. The company’s newly launched Prescription Diet Derm Complete has been gaining market share. This is expected to have boosted sales in the fourth quarter.

Expanding product availability through enhanced distribution to newer markets and channels is one of Colgate’s priorities to improve organic sales. The company has been aggressively expanding into faster growth channels, while extending the geographic footprint of its brands. Colgate also remains focused on expanding the availability of its products through the e-commerce channel, as more consumers are using online services for their essential needs. Gains from its expansion efforts are likely to get reflected in the to-be-reported quarter’s results.

However, a deleverage in advertising and SG&A expenses, and raw-material cost inflation are expected to have been concerning. Elevated logistic expenses are also likely to have been headwinds. This is expected to have hurt the gross margin in the fourth quarter.

The company has also been witnessing restricted mobility and supply-chain disruptions from the pandemic, along with a rise in raw material and logistics costs.
On the last reported quarter’s earnings call, management anticipated cost-related headwinds to persist in the fourth quarter.

What the Zacks Model Unveils

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Colgate this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Colgate has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of -0.42%.

Stocks With Favorable Combination

Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +7.30% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports the fourth-quarter 2021 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADM’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $20.4 billion, which suggests growth of 13.3% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Archer Daniels’ quarterly earnings has moved up 10.6% in the past 30 days to $1.23 per share, suggesting 12.4% growth from the year-ago reported number. ADM has delivered an earnings beat of 23.4%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Mondelez International (MDLZ - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.57% and a Zacks Rank #3. MDLZ is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports the fourth-quarter 2021 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $7.54 billion, which suggests growth of 3.3% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mondelez International’s quarterly earnings has been unchanged in the past 30 days at 72 cents per share, suggesting growth of 7.5% from the year-ago quarter’s reported number. MDLZ has delivered an earnings beat of 3.3%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Coty (COTY - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +37.14% and a Zacks Rank #3. COTY is anticipated to register top-line growth when it reports the fourth-quarter 2021 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coty’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $1.61 billion, indicating an improvement of 13.8% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coty’s bottom line has moved up by a penny in the past seven days to 12 cents per share. However, the consensus estimate suggests a decline of 29.4% from the prior-year quarter. COTY has delivered an earnings beat of 66.4%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

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