Colgate Palmolive shares fall nearly 4% on flat Q4 profit, 9% YoY growth in net sales; here’s what analysts said

At around 11:38 AM, the stock was trading 2.39% lower at ₹2,105.40 per equity share. The scrip has lost 2% in the past week and 3% over the month.

While the share hit a 52-week high of ₹2,599.10 apiece on May 22, 2025, it touched a year’s low of ₹1,782 on March 30, 2026.

Colgate Q4 results

Colgate Palmolive's net profit remained flat in the March quarter of the 2025-26 financial year (Q4 FY26), edging down 0.5% year-on-year (YoY) to ₹353 crore, compared with ₹355 crore in the same period last fiscal year.

However, excluding one-offs and exceptional items, its net profit after tax recorded a growth of 9% YoY, according to a regulatory filing on May 22.

Its net sales advanced 9% YoY to ₹1,583 crore during the quarter under review, as against ₹1,452 crore in the fourth quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year (Q4 FY25). Additionally, its domestic net sales logged a 9.2% YoY growth.

The company’s advertising spend for the quarter increased by 10% YoY to ₹191 crore in the March FY26 quarter, with continued emphasis on premiumisation and driving consumption.

Its advertising spend in the year-ago period stood at ₹181 crore.

Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin expanded to 32.2% for the reporting quarter, in comparison to 31.9% in Q4 FY25.

It saw steady category volume growth with recovery in urban markets, as per Colgate’s investor presentation.

Interim dividend

Its board of directors also declared a second interim dividend of ₹24 per equity share of ₹1 each for FY26.

Furthermore, Colgate said that the ₹653 crore dividend payout to the shareholders will be paid on or before June 17, 2026.

It also fixed June 1, 2026, as the record date for the same.

Thus, the total dividend for FY26 will be ₹48 per equity share for the year 2025-26, the firm said.

What the CEO said

Commenting on the earnings, Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director & CEO of Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, said: “We are pleased to end the year with continued acceleration in sales growth, with our domestic business achieving 9.2% year-on-year growth in Q4 FY26. This momentum was broad-based across our core and premium portfolios and balanced between pricing and volume.”

Narasimhan further stated that crucially, the company’s accelerated investments in the strategic premium business have been yielding stellar results, delivering growth that is 3x the overall company growth. “This achievement is underpinned by our steadfast commitment to providing high-quality, science-backed, superior products and brand experiences,” he said.

“Our best-in-class gross margin profile remains strong, supported by a disciplined, company-wide approach to funding the Growth cost savings initiatives. We will stay focused on driving category consumption and accelerating premiumization. We are confident of sustaining the growth momentum as we remain committed to executing a strategy that is delivering results,” he stated.

He noted that the firm will continue to actively monitor the ongoing geopolitical developments and their impact on commodity price volatility.

“We are well-positioned to manage the changing dynamics through effective cost management principles and calibrated pricing actions as needed,” Narasimhan added.

What analysts said

Additionally, its margin outlook suggests increasing pressure, weighed down by higher advertising intensity, GST-related headwinds, with a 160 basis points impact from the inverted duty structure, and sustained competitive intensity.

Colgate Palmolive has a total market capitalisation of ₹57,296.49 crore as of May 25, 2026, according to data on the NSE.