Colgate-Palmolive Company (
CL), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. The company is a
dividend champion which has increased distributions for 48 years in a row. The most recent dividend increase was in February, when the Board of Directors approved a 9.40% increase to 58 cents/share. The major competitors of Colgate-Palmolive include Clorox (
CLX),
Procter & Gamble (
PG), Church & Dwight (
CHD) and
Kimberly-Clark (
KMB).
Over the past decade this
dividend stock has delivered an annualized total return of 4.20% to its loyal shareholders.
The company has managed to deliver an impressive increase in EPS of 9.60% per year since 2001. Analysts expect Colgate-Palmolive to earn $5.06 per share in 2011 and $5.50 per share in 2012. This would be a nice increase from the $4.31/share the company earned in 2010. The company has managed to decrease the number of shares outstanding by 1.30% per year over the past decade through share buybacks, which has aided earnings growth.
Colgate generates over 60% of its sales from outside of the US. The growing emerging markets in Latin America and Asia and the rising middle class in these markets could present an excellent opportunity for the company.