NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 26, 2024--Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) today reported results for fourth quarter and full year 2023. Noel Wallace, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the Base Business fourth quarter and full year results, “We are pleased to have finished the year with another quarter of strong top and bottom line results including 7.0% net and organic sales growth, improved organic volume performance, gross and operating profit margin expansion and double-digit earnings per share growth.

“For the full year, we grew both net and organic sales 8.5%, with organic sales growth in every division and in all four of our categories. This was our fifth consecutive year with organic sales growth at or above our 3% to 5% targeted range.

“The strong sales growth combined with our commitment to productivity and efficiency drove strong bottom line performance as well, with gross profit, gross profit margin, operating profit, operating profit margin, net income, earnings per share and free cash flow all increasing versus 2022 for both the quarter and the year.

“We continued to invest in the capabilities required to deliver robust growth going forward, building strength in areas like innovation, digital, data and analytics, revenue growth management and advertising. We leveraged our strong margin performance to invest behind building our brands, with a 19% increase in advertising spending in 2023, and we expect higher levels of brand investment in 2024.

“The quality of our results this year and our strong growth momentum, including improved organic volume performance, add to our confidence that we are well positioned to deliver consistent, compounded earnings per share growth in 2024 and beyond.”

Full Year

• Net sales and Organic sales* both increased 8.5%
• GAAP EPS increased 30% to $2.77 as we lapped goodwill and intangible assets impairment charges in fourth quarter 2022
• Base Business EPS* increased 9% to $3.23

Fourth Quarter

• Net sales and Organic sales* both increased 7.0%
• GAAP EPS increased to $0.87 as we lapped goodwill and intangible assets impairment charges in fourth quarter 2022
• Base Business EPS* increased 13% to $0.87
• GAAP Gross profit margin and Base Business Gross profit margin* both increased 400 basis points to 59.6%
• Net cash provided by operations was $3,745 for the full year, up 47% versus 2022
• Colgate’s leadership in toothpaste continued with its global market share at 41.1% year to date
• Colgate’s leadership in manual toothbrushes continued with its global market share at 31.5% year to date

Full Year 2024 Guidance

Based on current spot rates:

• The Company expects net sales growth to be 1% to 4% including a low-single-digit negative impact from foreign exchange.
• The Company expects organic sales growth to be within its long-term targeted range of 3% to 5%.
• On a GAAP basis, the Company expects gross profit margin expansion, increased advertising investment and double-digit earnings-per-share growth.
• On a non-GAAP (Base Business) basis, the Company expects gross profit margin expansion, increased advertising investment and mid to high-single-digit earnings-per-share growth.

Divisional Performance

The following are comments about divisional performance for fourth quarter 2023 versus the year ago period. See attached "Table 6 - Geographic Sales Analysis Percentage Changes" and "Table 5 - Segment Information" for additional information on net sales and operating profit by division.

North America (20% of Company Sales)

• Organic sales growth was led by oral care and personal care.
• In the United States, Colgate's share of the toothpaste market is 33.7% year to date and its share of the manual toothbrush market is 41.1% year to date.
• The increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives, lower overhead expenses and higher pricing, partially offset by increased advertising investment.

Latin America (24% of Company Sales)

• Organic sales growth was led by Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.
• The increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to higher pricing, savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives and lower raw and packaging material costs, despite higher foreign exchange transaction costs, partially offset by losses on marketable securities and a gain on the sale of other assets and a value-added tax refund in fourth quarter 2022.

Europe (14% of Company Sales)

• Organic sales growth in the United Kingdom, the Nordic region and Poland was partially offset by organic sales declines in the Filorga business and Italy.
• The increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives and higher pricing, partially offset by significantly higher raw and packaging material costs.

Asia Pacific (14% of Company Sales)

• Organic sales growth in India and Australia was partially offset by organic sales declines in the Greater China region and Thailand.
• The increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to cost savings from the Company's funding-the-growth initiatives and higher pricing, partially offset by higher overhead expenses.

Africa/Eurasia (5% of Company Sales)

• Organic sales growth was led by Turkiye, the Eurasia region, Nigeria and South Africa.
• The decrease in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to higher raw and packaging material costs predominantly driven by significant foreign exchange transaction costs, higher overhead expenses and increased advertising investment, partially offset by higher pricing and cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives.

Hill's Pet Nutrition (23% of Company Sales)

• Organic sales growth was led by the United States and Europe.
• The decrease in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to significantly higher raw and packaging material costs, increased advertising investment and start-up costs associated with a new manufacturing plant, partially offset by higher pricing and cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives.

Prepared Materials and Webcast Information

At approximately 7:00 a.m. ET today, Colgate will post its prepared materials (in PDF format) regarding fourth quarter and full year 2023 results to the Investor Center section of its website at https://investor.colgatepalmolive.com/events-and-presentations.

At 8:30 a.m. ET today, Colgate will host a conference call regarding fourth quarter and full year 2023 results. To access this call as a webcast, please go to Colgate’s website at www.colgatepalmolive.com.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, we sell our products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. We are recognized for our leadership and innovation in promoting sustainability and community wellbeing, including our achievements in decreasing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, saving water, conserving natural resources and improving children’s oral health through the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, which has reached approximately 1.7 billion children and families since 1991. For more information about Colgate’s global business and how we are building a future to smile about, visit www.colgatepalmolive.com. CL-E

The Company's annual meeting of stockholders is currently scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2024.

Market Share Information

Management uses market share information as a key indicator to monitor business health and performance. References to market share in this press release are based on a combination of consumption and market share data provided by third-party vendors, primarily Nielsen, and internal estimates. All market share references represent the percentage of the dollar value of sales of our products, relative to all product sales in the category in the countries in which the Company competes and purchases data (excluding Venezuela from all periods).

Market share data is subject to limitations on the availability of up-to-date information. In particular, market share data is currently not generally available for certain retail channels, such as eCommerce and certain club retailers and discounters. The Company measures year-to-date market shares from January 1 of the relevant year through the most recent period for which market share data is available, which typically reflects a lag time of one or two months. The Company believes that the third-party vendors it uses to provide data are reliable, but it has not verified the accuracy or completeness of the data or any assumptions underlying the data. In addition, market share information reported by the Company may be different from market share information reported by other companies due to differences in category definitions, the use of data from different countries, internal estimates and other factors.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and the related webcast may contain forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its rules, regulations and releases) that set forth anticipated results based on management’s current plans and assumptions. Such statements may relate, for example, to sales or volume growth, net selling price increases, organic sales growth, profit or profit margin levels, earnings per share levels, financial goals, the impact of foreign exchange, the impact of the war in Ukraine, the impact of the Israel-Hamas war, cost-reduction plans (including the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative), tax rates, interest rates, new product introductions, digital capabilities, commercial investment levels, acquisitions, divestitures, share repurchases or legal or tax proceedings, among other matters. These statements are made on the basis of the Company’s views and assumptions as of this time and the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Moreover, the Company does not, nor does any other person, assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these statements. The Company cautions investors that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual events or results may differ materially from those statements. For more information about factors that could impact the Company’s business and cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, investors should refer to the Company’s filings with the SEC (including, but not limited to, the information set forth under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and subsequent filings with the SEC). Copies of these filings may be obtained upon request from the Company’s Investor Relations Department or on the Company’s website at www.colgatepalmolive.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The following provides definitions and other information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release and the related prepared materials and webcast, which may not be the same as or comparable to similar measures presented by other companies:

• Base Business: Base Business refers to non-GAAP measures of operating results that exclude certain items. Base Business operating results exclude, as applicable, charges related to an ERISA litigation matter, a foreign tax matter and the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative, product recall costs, goodwill and intangible assets impairment charges, a gain on the sale of land in Asia Pacific and acquisition-related costs.
• Organic sales growth: Net sales growth excluding the impact of foreign exchange, acquisitions and divestments.
• Free cash flow before dividends: Net cash provided by operations less Capital expenditures.

This press release discusses Net sales growth (GAAP) and Organic sales growth (non-GAAP). Management believes the organic sales growth measure provides investors and analysts with useful supplemental information regarding the Company’s underlying sales trends by presenting sales growth excluding the external factor of foreign exchange as well as the impact from acquisitions and divestments. See “Geographic Sales Analysis Percentage Changes” for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023 versus 2022 included with this release for a comparison of Organic sales growth to Net sales growth in accordance with GAAP.

Gross profit, Gross profit margin, Selling, general and administrative expenses, Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of Net sales, Other (income) expense, net, Operating profit, Operating profit margin, Non-service related postretirement costs, Effective income tax rate, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and Diluted earnings per common share are disclosed on both an as reported (GAAP) and Base Business (non-GAAP) basis. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude items that, either by their nature or amount, management would not expect to occur as part of the Company’s normal business on a regular basis, such as restructuring charges, charges for certain litigation and tax matters, acquisition-related costs, gains and losses from certain divestitures and certain other unusual, non-recurring items. Investors and analysts use these financial measures in assessing the Company’s business performance, and management believes that presenting these financial measures on a non-GAAP basis provides them with useful supplemental information to enhance their understanding of the Company’s underlying business performance and trends. These non-GAAP financial measures also enhance the ability to compare period-to-period financial results. See “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 included with this release for a reconciliation of these financial measures to the related GAAP measures.

The Company uses these financial measures internally in its budgeting process, to evaluate segment and overall operating performance and as factors in determining compensation. While the Company believes that these financial measures are useful in evaluating the Company’s underlying business performance and trends, this information should be considered as supplemental in nature and is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

As management uses free cash flow before dividends to evaluate the Company’s ability to satisfy current and future obligations, pay dividends, fund future business opportunities and repurchase stock, the Company believes that it provides useful information to investors. Free cash flow before dividends is not a measure of cash available for discretionary expenditures since the Company has certain non-discretionary obligations such as debt service that are not deducted from the measure. See “Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 for a comparison of free cash flow before dividends to Net cash provided by operations as reported in accordance with GAAP.

(See attached tables for fourth quarter and full year results.)