EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 21665
Filing Year: 2025
Filename: 21665_10-K_2025_0000021665-25-000008.json

---

ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General Development of the Business
Colgate-Palmolive Company (together with its subsidiaries, “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” or “Colgate”) is a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. We seek to deliver consistent compounded earnings per share growth to help drive superior total shareholder return, as well as to provide Colgate people with an innovative and inclusive work environment. We do this by developing and selling science-led products globally that make people’s and their pets’ lives healthier and more enjoyable and by embracing our Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy across our organization. Our products are marketed in over 200 countries and territories throughout the world. Colgate was founded in 1806 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1923.
For recent business developments and other information, refer to the information set forth under the captions “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Executive Overview,” “- Outlook,” “-Results of Operations” and “- Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Part II, Item 7 of this report.
Description of the Business
We operate in two product segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. We are a leader in Oral Care with global leadership in the toothpaste and manual toothbrush categories according to market share data. We sell our toothpastes under brands such as Colgate, Darlie, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso and Tom’s of Maine, our toothbrushes under brands such as Colgate, Darlie, elmex and meridol and our mouthwashes under brands such as Colgate, elmex and meridol. Our Oral Care business also includes pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals.
We are a leader in many product categories of the Personal Care market with global leadership in liquid hand soap, according to market share data, which we sell under brands such as Palmolive, Protex and Softsoap. Our Personal Care products also include Irish Spring, Palmolive and Protex bar soaps, Irish Spring, Palmolive, Sanex and Softsoap shower gels, Lady Speed Stick, Sanex, Speed Stick and Tom’s of Maine deodorants and antiperspirants, EltaMD, Filorga and PCA SKIN skin health products and Palmolive shampoos and conditioners.
We manufacture and market a wide array of products for the Home Care market, including Ajax, Axion and Palmolive dishwashing liquids, Ajax, Fabuloso and Murphy household cleaners and Suavitel, Soupline, Fluffy and Cuddly fabric conditioners.
Sales of Oral, Personal and Home Care products accounted for 43%, 18% and 17%, respectively, of our total worldwide Net sales in 2024. Geographically, Oral Care is a substantial part of our business in Asia Pacific.
Through our Hill’s Pet Nutrition segment (“Hill’s” or “Pet Nutrition”), we are a leader in specialty pet nutrition products for dogs and cats with products marketed in over 80 countries and territories worldwide. Hill’s markets pet foods primarily under two brands. Hill’s Science Diet, which is called Hill’s Science Plan in Europe, is a range of products for everyday nutritional needs. Hill’s Prescription Diet is a range of therapeutic pet foods to help nutritionally support dogs and cats in different stages of health. Sales of Pet Nutrition products accounted for 22% of our total worldwide Net sales in 2024.
For more information regarding our worldwide Net sales by product category, refer to Note 1, Nature of Operations and Note 13, Segment Information to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
For additional information regarding market share data, see “Market Share Information” in Part II, Item 7 of this report.
Distribution; Raw Materials; Competition; Trademarks and Patents
Our Oral, Personal and Home Care products are sold to a variety of retailers, wholesalers and distributors worldwide. Pet Nutrition products are sold by authorized pet supply retailers, veterinarians and eCommerce retailers. Certain of our products are also sold direct-to-consumer. Our sales to Walmart, Inc. and its affiliates represented approximately 11% of our Net sales in 2024. No other customer represented more than 10% of our Net sales in 2024. We support our products with advertising, promotion and other marketing (with increasing emphasis on digital) to build awareness and trial of our products. Our products are marketed by a direct sales force at individual operating subsidiaries or business units and by distributors or brokers.
The majority of raw and packaging materials used in our products is purchased from other companies and is available from several sources. No single raw or packaging material represents, and no single supplier provides, a significant portion of our total material requirements. We do, however, purchase certain key raw and packaging materials from single-source suppliers or a limited number of suppliers. For certain materials, new suppliers may have to be qualified under industry, governmental and/or Colgate standards (including those relating to responsible sourcing), which can require additional investment and/or take a significant period of time. Raw and packaging material commodities, such as resins, essential oils, tropical oils, pulp, tallow, corn, poultry and soybeans, are subject to market price variations. For further information regarding the impact of changes in commodity prices, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Volatility in material and other costs has in the past and may continue to adversely impact our profitability” and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Our products are sold in a highly competitive global marketplace which has experienced increased retail trade concentration, the substantial growth of eCommerce, the integration of traditional and digital operations at key retailers and the growing presence of large-format retailers, discounters and eCommerce retailers. Products similar to ours are available from multinational and local competitors in the U.S. and around the world. Certain of our competitors are larger and have greater resources than we do. In addition, the substantial growth in eCommerce has encouraged the entry of new competitors and business models. In certain geographies, we also face strong local competitors, who may be more agile and have better local consumer insights than we do. Private label brands sold by retailers are also a source of competition for certain of our products.
The retail landscape in many of our markets continues to evolve as a result of the continued growth of eCommerce, changing consumer behavior and preferences (as consumers increasingly shop online, including to compare prices and product availability) and the increased presence of alternative retail channels, such as subscription services and direct-to-consumer businesses. We face competition in several aspects of our business, including pricing, promotional activities, new products and brand introductions and expansion into new geographies and channels.
We consider trademarks to be material to our business. We follow a practice of seeking trademark protection in the U.S. and throughout the world where our products are sold. Principal global and regional trademarks include Colgate, Palmolive, Darlie, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, Lady Speed Stick, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Murphy, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. Our rights in these trademarks endure for as long as they are used and/or registered. Although we actively develop and maintain a portfolio of patents, no single patent is considered significant to the business as a whole.
Government Regulations
As a global company, we are subject to extensive governmental regulations, including environmental rules and regulations, in the U.S. and abroad. The most significant government regulations that impact our business are discussed below. We are also subject to laws and regulations relating to sustainability, labor and employment practices, artificial intelligence and taxation. It is our policy and practice to comply with all government regulations applicable to our business. In 2024, compliance with these regulations did not have, and we do not expect such compliance in the future to have, a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. For further discussion of how global legal and regulatory requirements may impact our business, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Product Development: Legal and regulatory requirements apply to most aspects of our products, including their development, ingredients, formulation, manufacture, packaging, labeling, storage, transportation, distribution, export, import, advertising, sale and environmental impact. U.S. federal authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, regulate different aspects of our business, along with parallel authorities at the state and local levels and comparable authorities overseas.
Anti-Corruption, Anti-Bribery, Commercial Bribery and Competition: We are subject to anti-corruption laws and regulations, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other laws that generally prohibit the making or offering of improper payments to foreign government officials and political figures for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or to gain an unfair business advantage, and laws that prohibit commercial bribery. In addition, our selling practices are regulated by competition law authorities in the U.S. and abroad.
Privacy and Data Protection: Our collection, storage, transfer and/or processing of customer, consumer, employee, vendor and other stakeholder information and personal data is subject to important data protection laws and regulations in the U.S. and abroad, including the General Data Protection Regulation.
Trade Compliance: We are subject to laws and sanctions imposed by the U.S., including those imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) and/or by other jurisdictions that may prohibit us or certain of our affiliates from doing business in certain countries or restrict the kind of business that may be conducted. For information regarding the impact of the war in Ukraine, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Executive Overview.”
Human Capital Management
Human capital matters at Colgate are managed by our Global Human Resources function, led by our Chief Human Resources Officer, with oversight from the Personnel and Organization Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Board”). As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately 34,000 employees based in over 100 countries. Approximately two-thirds of our revenues are generated from markets outside the U.S. and over 80% of our employees are located outside the U.S. Approximately 33% of our employees are based in Asia Pacific, 30% are based in Latin America, 17% are based in North America, 15% are based in Europe and 5% are based in Africa/Eurasia. Our global workforce covers a broad range of functions, from manufacturing employees to management personnel and certain of our employees are represented by unions or works councils.
Colgate’s Culture and Core Values
Colgate’s purpose is to reimagine a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. We believe Colgate people are crucial to our ongoing business success and aim to recruit, develop and retain strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. As the owner of the world’s most penetrated brand, our business success relies on our ability to market our brands to consumers around the world. We believe having a workforce that can speak to our consumers in an authentic manner enables us to increase our household penetration, an important part of our business strategy. We are committed to fostering a sense of belonging that embodies our purpose and values, which are essential to how we drive innovation and growth. We celebrate differences, emphasize the importance of inclusion and belonging for everyone and value the contributions of all Colgate people. At Colgate, we are proud of our collaborative spirit - what we call The Power of WE.
Colgate people, working around the world, share a commitment to our three corporate values - We are Caring, We are Inclusive and We are Courageous. By encouraging Colgate people to be more caring, inclusive and courageous every day, our goal is to create a healthier future for ourselves and others. Underlying these values and our strong culture is the commitment of all Colgate people to maintain the highest ethical standards and demonstrate ethical leadership, including compliance with Colgate policies and our Code of Conduct.
We are committed to getting better every day in all that we do, as individuals and as teams. We seek to foster an inclusive and supportive workplace that promotes the growth and development of all employees, supported by a robust learning culture that aligns with our business needs. We are also committed to listening to our employees and seeing how the company is evolving and growing through regular employee engagement surveys.
As a truly global company, with employees in over 100 countries, it is important that our employees reflect the communities in which we live and work. As of December 31, 2024, our global workforce was approximately 58% male and 42% female. Women represented approximately 46% of Colgate’s executives and 35% of senior leadership. In the U.S., approximately 33% of our employees self-identify as racial/ethnic minorities, approximately 45% of our executives self-identify as racial/ethnic minorities and approximately 39% of our senior leadership self-identify as racial/ethnic minorities. In this section, “executives” refers to those employees who are eligible to participate in Colgate’s equity incentive compensation plans and “senior leadership” refers to employees who are Senior Vice Presidents and above.
Succession Planning
We have a rigorous succession planning process, led by our Global Human Resources function. Our Board is also extensively involved in succession planning and people development, with special focus on CEO succession. As part of the succession planning process, we review and discuss potential successors to key positions and examine backgrounds, capabilities and appropriate developmental assignments.
Compensation Philosophy
Given the importance of Colgate people to our business success, motivating and retaining critical talent is a key focus. We view compensation as an important tool to motivate leaders at all levels of the organization. For information regarding our compensation philosophy and executive compensation programs, please see our Proxy Statement to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Sustainability and Social Impact
Sustainability is critically important to our overall business and growth strategy. Our 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy is focused on three key ambitions - preserving our environment by accelerating action on climate change and reducing our environmental footprint; helping millions of homes by designing more sustainable products and empowering people to develop healthier habits; and driving social impact with a commitment to helping to ensure the wellbeing of all people and their pets. These ambitions are supported by actionable targets consistent with our continued commitment to building environmental and social consciousness into our decision-making.
In 2024, we made progress on the targets set forth in our 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy.
Reduce Plastic Waste: We continue to implement our first-of-its-kind recyclable toothpaste tube across our toothpaste portfolio. We introduced this tube in 2019 and, as of December 31, 2024, we have transitioned approximately 75% of our toothpaste SKUs globally and approximately 95% of our toothpaste SKUs in North America to recyclable tubes. We continue to share the tube technology with third parties and work to encourage recyclability of all tubes in practice and at scale. We are also focused on working with recycling stakeholders and partnering with key third parties to drive tube acceptance and communicating that consumers should check with their local recycling facilities to confirm tube acceptance. We also remain committed to reducing our use of new (virgin) plastic across our portfolio and continue to make progress toward our target to reduce new (virgin) plastic by one-third versus 2019. We are working towards this target with product design changes and by increasing recycled content in our packaging.
Accelerate Action on Climate Change: We are taking steps to accelerate action on climate change through science-based near-term, long-term and Net Zero 2040 emissions targets across our operations and value chain, which have been approved by The Science Based Targets initiative. To support our target to become Net Zero carbon in our operations by 2040, we have built a global renewable energy master plan which includes roadmaps by division to cover our manufacturing facilities and owned warehouses, global technology centers and offices. Renewable energy agreements are a valuable part of this renewable energy master plan and are key contributors to achieving our target to have 100% renewable electricity by 2030. As part of these efforts, in 2023 and 2024, we signed long-term virtual power purchase agreements in the United States and Europe, respectively.
Lead with Zero Waste Facilities: Our goal is to achieve TRUE certification for zero waste at 100% of our operations, which we define as our manufacturing facilities, owned and operated warehouses, global technology centers and strategic offices, by 2025. In 2024, eight more of our sites achieved TRUE certification. That brings the total number of TRUE certified sites to 44 across six continents in 26 countries, as of December 31, 2024.
Social Impact: Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures is our flagship oral health education and well-being initiative. Since the program was established in 1991, we have reached approximately 1.8 billion children and their families with oral health education. Through our Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program, we have helped over 15 million shelter pets find forever homes since 2002.
Additional information about our sustainability targets and efforts, including our 2023 Sustainability & Social Impact Report and our 2024 Climate Transition & Net Zero Action Plan can be found in the Sustainability section of our website at https://www.colgatepalmolive.com/sustainability. References to these reports and our website are for informational purposes only and neither the reports nor the other information on our website is incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Information about our Executive Officers
The following is a list of our executive officers as of February 13, 2025:
Name Age Date First Elected Executive Officer Present Title
Noel Wallace 60 2009 Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
Stanley J. Sutula III 59 2020 Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer M. Daniels 61 2014 Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Prabha Parameswaran 66 2019 Group President, Growth and Strategy
Panagiotis Tsourapas 60 2019 Group President, Europe and Developing Markets
Sally Massey 51 2020 Chief Human Resources Officer
Gregory O. Malcolm 57 2022 Executive Vice President, Controller
Each of our executive officers listed above has served the Company or our subsidiaries in various executive capacities for the past five years with the exception of Stanley J. Sutula III, Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Sutula was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Pitney Bowes Inc., which he joined in 2017.
Under our By-Laws, our officers hold office until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until they have resigned, retired or been removed by the affirmative vote of a majority of our Board. There are no family relationships between any of our executive officers, and there is no arrangement or understanding between any executive officer and any other person pursuant to which the executive officer was elected.
Available Information
Our website address is www.colgatepalmolive.com. The information contained on our website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available, free of charge, on our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, interactive data files posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Also available on our website are the Company’s Code of Conduct and Board Guidelines on Significant Corporate Governance Issues, the charters of the Committees of the Board, Specialized Disclosure Reports on Form SD, reports under Section 16 of the Exchange Act of transactions in Company stock by directors and executive officers and our Proxy Statements.

---

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the risks described elsewhere in this report, set forth below is a summary of the material risks to an investment in our securities. These risks, some of which have occurred and/or are occurring and any of which could occur in the future, are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also have an adverse effect on us. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be materially and adversely impacted, which might cause the value of our securities to decline.
Business and Industry Risks
We face risks associated with significant international operations, including exposure to foreign currency fluctuations.
We operate on a global basis serving consumers in more than 200 countries and territories with approximately two-thirds of our Net sales originating in markets outside the U.S. While geographic diversity helps to reduce our exposure to risks in any one country or part of the world, it also means that we face risks associated with significant international operations, including, but not limited to:
•changing macroeconomic conditions in our markets, including as a result of inflationary pressure, economic slowdown or recession, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, major developments in trade relations, volatile commodity prices and increases and/or volatility in the cost of raw and packaging materials, labor, energy and logistics;
•changes in exchange rates for foreign currencies, which may reduce the U.S. dollar value of revenues, profits and cash flows from non-U.S. markets or increase our supply costs, as measured in U.S. dollars, in those markets;
•political instability or uncertainty, including as a result of elections, economic instability, geopolitical events and tensions, wars and military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan;
•changes to trade policies and agreements and other foreign or domestic legal and regulatory requirements, including those resulting in potentially adverse tax consequences or the imposition of and/or the increase in trade restrictions and/or tariffs, sanctions, price controls, labor laws, travel or immigration restrictions, profit controls or other government controls, including as a result of the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan;
•environmental events, widespread health emergencies, such as pandemics or epidemics, natural disasters or social or labor unrest;
•exchange controls and other limits on our ability to import or export raw materials or finished product, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, or to repatriate earnings from overseas;
•lack of well-established, reliable and/or impartial legal systems in certain countries where we operate and difficulties in enforcing contractual, intellectual property or other legal rights; and
•foreign ownership and investment restrictions and the potential for nationalization or expropriation of property or other resources.
Any or all of the foregoing risks could have a significant impact on our ability to sell our products on a competitive basis in international markets and may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, a number of these risks may adversely impact consumer confidence and consumption, which could reduce sales volumes of our products or result in a shift in our product mix from higher margin to lower margin product offerings.
We face risks resulting from political and macroeconomic instability and geopolitical events and tensions, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan. These geopolitical conflicts
andtensions may also heighten other risks disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, any of which could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.
The war in Ukraine and the related geopolitical tensions have had and continue to have a significant impact on our operations in Ukraine and Russia, though it has not been material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. We have no manufacturing facilities in Russia. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our business in the Eurasia region constituted approximately 1% of our consolidated net sales and approximately 2% of our consolidated operating profit. We, however, have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, risks related to the impact of the war in Ukraine, including increases in the cost and, in certain cases, limitations on the availability of certain raw and packaging materials and commodities (including oil and natural gas), supply chain and logistics challenges, import restrictions, foreign currency volatility and reputational concerns. We also have faced and continue to face challenges to our ability to repatriate cash from Russia and to identify banking partners to support our Russian operations and may face challenges to our ability to protect our assets in Russia. We also continue to monitor the impact of the sanctions, export controls and import restrictions imposed generally and in response to the war in Ukraine.
The conflict in the Middle East has not had a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Uncertainties and risks remain as to the duration of the conflict and its impact on geopolitical relations and stability in North Africa, the wider Middle East and nearby regions. The conflict has impacted and may continue to impact, among other things, supply chain and logistics, the availability and price of raw and packaging materials and commodities, such as oil, consumer sentiment and consumption and category growth rates in the region.
Furthermore, the imposition of tariffs and/or increases in tariffs on various raw materials or products, or threats to impose or increase such tariffs, by the United States and other countries have introduced greater uncertainty with respect to trade policies and government regulations affecting trade between the United States and other countries and new and/or increased tariffs have subjected, and may continue in the future to subject, us to additional costs and expenditure of resources. Major developments in trade relations, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs by the United States and/or other countries, such as China, Mexico and Canada, including those imposed following the United States’ February 2025 executive orders, and any nationalist trends in specific countries, have altered and could continue to alter the trade environment and consumer purchasing behavior which, in turn, could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
In an effort to minimize the impact on earnings of foreign currency rate movements, we engage in a combination of selling price increases, where permitted, sourcing strategies, cost containment measures and selective hedging of foreign currency transactions. However, the impact of these measures has not and may not in the future fully offset any negative impact of foreign currency rate movements on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Significant competition in our industry could adversely affect our business.
We face vigorous competition worldwide, including from strong local competitors (including private label competition) and from other large, multinational companies, some of which have greater resources than we do. In addition, the substantial growth in eCommerce has encouraged the entry of new competitors and business models.
We face competition in several aspects of our business, including pricing, promotional activities, new product introductions and expansion into new geographies and channels. Some of our competitors may spend more aggressively on or have more effective advertising and promotional activities than we do, introduce competing products more quickly and/or respond more effectively to business and economic conditions and changing consumer preferences, including by launching innovative new products. Such competition also extends to administrative and legal challenges of product claims and advertising. Our success is and will likely increasingly be dependent on our ability to effectively leverage existing and emerging digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, to gain new commercial insights and develop relevant marketing and advertising to reach customers and consumers. Our ability to compete also depends on the strength of our brands and products and on our ability to enforce and defend our intellectual property, including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and trade dress rights, against infringement and legal challenges by competitors.
We may be unable to anticipate the timing and scale of such initiatives or challenges by competitors or to successfully respond to them, which could harm our business and/or reputation. In addition, the cost of responding to such initiatives
and challenges, including management time, out-of-pocket expenses and price reductions, may affect our performance. A failure to compete effectively could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Increasing dependence on key retailers in developed markets, changes in the policies of our retail trade customers, the emergence of alternative retail channels and the rapidly changing retail landscape and changing consumer preferences may adversely affect our business.
Our products are sold in a highly competitive global marketplace which has experienced increased trade concentration and the growing presence of large-format retailers, discounters and eCommerce retailers. With the growing trend toward retail trade consolidation, the substantial growth of eCommerce and the integration of traditional and digital operations at key retailers, we are increasingly dependent on certain retailers, and some of these retailers have and may continue to have greater bargaining strength than we do. They have used and may continue to use this leverage to demand higher trade discounts, allowances, slotting fees, increased investment, including through display media, paid search and co-op programs, or changes to product assortments, which have led to and could continue to lead to reduced sales or profitability in certain markets. The loss of a key customer or distributor or a significant reduction in sales to a key customer or distributor could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For additional information regarding our customers, see “Distribution; Raw Materials; Competition; Trademarks and Patents” in Item 1 “Business.”
We also have been and may continue to be negatively affected by changes in the policies or practices of our retail trade customers, such as inventory destocking, fulfillment requirements, technology-aided category pricing pressures, limitations on access to shelf space, delisting of our products, or sustainability, supply chain or packaging standards or initiatives. For example, a determination by a key retailer that any of our ingredients should not be used in certain consumer products or that our packaging does not comply with certain requirements and standards could adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, “private label” products sold by our retail customers, which are typically sold at lower prices than branded products, are a source of competition for certain of our products.
Further, the retail landscape in many of our markets continues to evolve as a result of the substantial growth of eCommerce, changing consumer behaviors and preferences (as consumers increasingly shop online, including to compare prices and product availability) and the increased presence of alternative retail channels, such as subscription services and direct-to-customer businesses. The substantial growth in eCommerce and the emergence of alternative retail channels have created and may continue to create pricing pressures and/or adversely affect our relationships with our key retailers.
In addition, consumer preferences continue to evolve due to a number of factors, including evolving consumer concerns or perceptions (whether or not valid) regarding sustainability and social impact practices, including the sourcing and sustainability of raw and packaging materials, a demand for natural or organic products and ingredients and ingredient transparency, consumer concerns or perceptions regarding the effects of ingredients, consumer sentiment toward non-local products or sources and perceptions of and increased focus on labor and human rights and environmental impacts (including responsible sourcing, deforestation, packaging, plastic, energy and water use and waste management).
If we are not successful in continuing to adapt or to effectively react to changes in consumer behaviors, preferences or purchasing patterns and/or changing market dynamics, including customer policies or the proliferation of eCommerce and alternative retail channels, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The growth of our business depends on the successful identification, development and launch of innovative new products.
Our growth depends on the continued success of existing products, the successful identification, development and launch of innovative new and differentiated products and the expansion into adjacent categories, channels of distribution or geographies. Our ability to launch new products, to sustain existing products and to expand into adjacent categories, channels of distribution or geographies is affected by whether we can successfully:
•identify, develop and fund technological innovations;
•obtain and maintain necessary intellectual property protection and avoid infringing intellectual property rights of others;
•obtain approvals and registrations of regulated products, including from the FDA and other regulatory bodies in the U.S. and abroad; and
•anticipate and quickly respond to the needs and preferences of consumers and customers.
The identification, development and introduction of innovative new products that drive incremental sales involves considerable costs and effort, and any new product may not generate sufficient customer and consumer interest and sales to become a profitable product or to cover the costs of its development and promotion. Our ability to achieve a successful launch of a new product could also be adversely affected by preemptive actions taken by competitors in response to the launch, such as increased promotional activities and advertising. In addition, new products may not be accepted quickly or significantly in the marketplace.
Our ability to quickly innovate to adapt and market our products and to adapt our packaging or the sustainability profile of our products to meet evolving consumer preferences and/or regulatory requirements is an essential part of our business strategy. The failure to develop and launch successful new products or to adapt our packaging, the sustainability profile of our products or supply chain to meet such preferences could hinder the growth of our business and any delay in the development or launch of a new product could result in us not being the first to market, which could compromise our competitive position and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, our success in launching new products is also dependent on our ability to deliver effective and efficient marketing in an evolving media landscape (including digital), which is subject to dynamic and increasingly restrictive privacy requirements and emerging regulations. Our ability to launch new products, including our ability to deliver effective and efficient marketing campaigns, is also impacted by our ability to successfully adopt new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, including machine learning and generative artificial intelligence.
If, in the course of identifying or developing new products, we are found to have infringed the trademark, trade secret, copyright, patent or other intellectual property rights of others, directly or indirectly, through the use of third-party ideas or technologies, such a finding could adversely affect our ability to develop innovative new products and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Even if we are not found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, claims of infringement could adversely affect us, including by increasing costs and by delaying the launch of new products.
Damage to our reputation could have an adverse effect on our business.
Maintaining our strong reputation with consumers and our trade partners globally is critical to selling our branded products. Accordingly, we devote significant time and resources to programs designed to protect and preserve our reputation, such as our ethics and compliance, sustainability and social impact, brand protection and product safety, regulatory and quality initiatives and our enterprise risk management program. Negative publicity about us, our brands, our products, our supply chain, our ingredients, our packaging, our sustainability and social impact practices, or our employees, whether or not deserved, could jeopardize our reputation. Such negative publicity could relate to, among other things, health or quality concerns, threatened or pending litigation or regulatory proceedings, animal welfare, labor and human rights and environmental impact (including responsible sourcing, deforestation, packaging, plastic, energy and water use and waste management) or our sustainability and social impact practices. In addition, the proliferation of digital and social media has greatly increased the accessibility of information, the speed of its dissemination and the potential for negative publicity and misinformation. Negative publicity, posts or comments on digital and social media, whether true or untrue, could damage our brands and our reputation. The success of our brands could also suffer if our marketing initiatives do not have the desired impact on a brand’s image or its ability to attract consumers.
In addition, the legal, regulatory and ethics landscape around the use of artificial intelligence, including machine learning and generative artificial intelligence, is rapidly evolving. Our ability to adapt and use this emerging technology in an effective and ethical manner may impact our reputation and our ability to compete, as outputs from generative artificial intelligence models could be, among other things, false, biased or inconsistent with our values or strategies. Further, the use of generative artificial intelligence tools may compromise our confidential or sensitive information or put our intellectual property at risk or subject us to claims of intellectual property infringement, which could in turn damage our reputation.
Additionally, due to the scale and scope of our business, we must rely on relationships with third parties, including our suppliers, distributors, contractors, joint venture partners and other external business partners, for certain functions. While we have policies and procedures for managing these relationships, they inherently involve a lesser degree of control over business operations, compliance and sustainability and social impact practices, thereby potentially increasing our reputational and legal risk.
We have taken and in the future may take certain actions to safeguard our reputation and uphold our ethical values, such as changes to how and where we sell, advertise and invest behind our products and operations, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
In addition, third parties sell counterfeit versions of our products, which are inferior or may pose safety risks. As a result, consumers of our brands could confuse our products with these counterfeit products, which could cause them to refrain from purchasing our brands in the future and in turn could impair our brand equity and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Damage to our reputation or loss of consumer confidence in our products for these or any other reasons could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, as well as require resources to rebuild our reputation.
We face various risks related to pandemics, epidemics or other widespread public health concerns, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We face various risks related to pandemics, epidemics or other widespread public health concerns. A pandemic, epidemic or other widespread health concern could have, and COVID-19 has had a variety of impacts on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, including:
•our ability to continue to maintain and support the health, safety and well-being of our employees, including key employees;
•disruptions to our global supply chain, including transportation and logistics challenges;
•a decrease in our workforce or in the efficiency of such workforce;
•volatility in the demand for and availability of our products;
•changes in purchasing patterns of our consumers;
•significant volatility in demand for certain of our products, which may require us to increase our production capacity or acquire additional capacity at an additional cost and expense;
•failure of third parties on which we rely to meet their obligations to us, or significant disruptions in their ability to do so, which may be caused by their own financial or operational difficulties;
•significant changes in the economic and political conditions of the markets in which we operate;
•disruptions and volatility in the global capital markets, including rising interest rates, which may increase the cost of capital and adversely impact our access to capital; and/or
•volatility in foreign exchange rates and increases in the cost and availability of raw and packaging materials and transportation and logistics costs.
Our success depends upon our ability to recruit, attract and retain key employees and the succession of senior management.
Our success largely depends on the performance of our management team and other key employees. If we are unable to recruit, attract and retain talented, highly qualified senior management and other key people, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected. Successfully executing organizational change, including management transitions at leadership levels of the Company and succession plans for senior management, is critical to our business success. While we follow a disciplined, ongoing succession planning process and have succession plans in place for senior management and other key executives, these do not guarantee that the services of qualified senior executives will continue to be available to us at particular moments in time. Further, changes in immigration laws and government policies have made, in certain circumstances, and may continue to make it more difficult for us to recruit or relocate highly skilled technical, professional and management personnel to meet our business needs. Our ability to attract and retain talent has been and may continue to be impacted by a number of factors, including challenges in the labor market. We continue to embed new ways of working to, among other things, instill a growth mindset to drive innovation. If we do not (or are perceived not to) successfully implement these initiatives, our ability to recruit, attract and retain talent may be adversely impacted.
We have pursued and may continue to pursue acquisitions and divestitures, which could adversely impact our business.
We have pursued and may continue to pursue acquisitions of brands, businesses, assets or technologies from third parties. Acquisitions and their pursuit have involved, and can involve, numerous potential risks, including, among other things:
•realizing the full extent of the expected benefits or synergies as a result of a transaction, within the anticipated time frame, or at all;
•successfully integrating the operations, technologies, services, products and systems of the acquired brands, assets or businesses in an effective, timely and cost-efficient manner;
•receiving necessary consents, clearances and approvals in connection with a transaction;
•diverting management’s attention from other business priorities;
•successfully operating in new lines of business, channels of distribution or markets;
•achieving distribution expansion related to products, categories and markets;
•retaining key employees, partners, suppliers and customers of the acquired business;
•conforming standards, controls, procedures and policies of the acquired business with our own;
•developing or launching products with acquired technologies; and
•other unanticipated problems or liabilities.
Moreover, acquisitions have resulted in and could in the future result in substantial additional debt, the assumption of contingent liabilities, such as litigation or earn-out obligations, or transaction costs. In addition, to the extent that the economic benefits associated with an acquisition or investment diminish in the future or the performance of an acquired company or business is less robust than expected, we may be required to record additional impairments of intangible assets, including trademarks and goodwill. Any of these risks could adversely impact our reputation and our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We have divested and may in the future periodically divest brands or businesses. These divestitures may adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition if we are unable to offset the dilutive impacts from the loss of revenue associated with the divested brands or businesses, or otherwise achieve the anticipated benefits or
cost savings from the divestitures. In addition, businesses under consideration for, or otherwise subject to, divestiture may be adversely impacted prior to the divestiture, which could negatively impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. If any planned divestiture is not able to be completed, we may also incur negative business and financial results.
Operational Risks
Our business results are impacted by our ability to manage disruptions in our global supply chain and/or key office facilities.
We are engaged in the manufacture and sourcing of products and materials on a global scale. Our operations and those of our suppliers, contract manufacturers or logistics providers have been and may continue to be disrupted by a number of factors, including, but not limited to:
•geopolitical events, wars and military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Middle East;
•widespread health emergencies, such as pandemics or epidemics;
•strikes and other labor disputes;
•disruptions in logistics;
•loss or impairment of key manufacturing or distribution sites;
•loss of key suppliers or contract manufacturers;
•capacity constraints;
•raw material and product availability and/or quality or safety issues;
•industrial accidents or other occupational health and safety issues;
•the impact on our suppliers of tighter credit or capital markets;
•the lack of availability of qualified personnel, such as truck drivers and production labor;
•governmental incentives, regulations and controls (including import and export restrictions, such as new or increased tariffs, sanctions, quotas or trade barriers); and
•natural disasters, including climatic events (including any potential effects of climate change) and earthquakes, tornadoes, acts of war or terrorism, political unrest or uncertainty, fires or explosions, cybersecurity incidents and other external factors over which we have no control.
In addition, we purchase certain key raw and packaging materials from single-source suppliers or a limited number of suppliers and new suppliers may have to be qualified under industry, governmental and/or Colgate standards, which can require additional investment and take a significant period of time. If our existing or new suppliers fail to meet such standards or if we are unable to contract with suppliers on favorable terms, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We believe that the supplies of raw and packaging materials needed to manufacture our products are adequate. In addition, we have business continuity and contingency plans in place for key manufacturing sites and contract manufacturers and the supply of raw and packaging materials. Nonetheless, a significant disruption to the manufacturing or sourcing of products or materials for any reason, including those mentioned above, have at times interrupted and could in the future interrupt product supply and, if not remedied, could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
In addition, as a result of our global shared service organizational model, certain of our functions, such as finance and accounting, customer service and logistics, human resources, global information technology and data analytics are concentrated in key office facilities. A significant disruption to any of our key office facilities for any reason, including those mentioned above, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Volatility in material and other costs has in the past and may continue to adversely impact our profitability.
Raw and packaging material commodities, such as resins, essential oils, tropical oils, pulp, tallow, corn, poultry and soybeans, are subject to market price variations. Increases in the costs of and/or a reduction in the availability of commodities, energy (including fuel prices), logistics (including trucks and containers) or other necessary services, including as a result of geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, and/or the impact of climatic events have affected and are likely to continue to adversely affect our profit margins. While the prices of many commodities and services have retreated from their historical peaks, prices may increase again, which could create year-over-year inflationary pressure. We have taken and may continue to take actions to mitigate these cost increases in the form of price increases and efforts to achieve cost efficiencies in areas such as manufacturing and distribution, or otherwise manage the exposure through sourcing strategies, ongoing productivity initiatives and the limited use of commodity hedging contracts. These actions may not, however, fully offset these higher costs and our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition have been and may continue to be adversely impacted. In addition, even if we are able to increase the prices of our products in response to commodity and other cost increases, we may not be able to sustain the price increases. If such price increases are sustained, they may negatively impact our sales volume, which can in turn negatively impact our margins and profitability. If competitors do not adjust their prices or if consumers decide not to pay higher prices and forego purchasing certain of our products or switch to “private label” or lower-priced product offerings, sales declines, a deterioration in our profitability and loss of market share may occur which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. See “Our business results are impacted by our ability to manage disruptions in our global supply chain and/or key office facilities” above for additional information.
There is no guarantee that our ongoing efforts to reduce costs will be successful.
One way that we generate funds needed to support the growth of our business is through our continuous, Company-wide initiatives to lower costs and increase effective asset utilization, which we refer to as our funding-the-growth initiatives. These initiatives are designed to reduce costs associated with direct materials, indirect expenses, distribution and logistics, and advertising and promotional materials, among other things. The achievement of our funding-the-growth goals depends on our ability to successfully identify and realize additional savings opportunities. Events and circumstances, such as financial or strategic difficulties, delays and unexpected costs may occur that could result in our not realizing any or all of the anticipated benefits or our not realizing the anticipated benefits on our expected timetable. If we are unable to realize the anticipated savings of our funding-the-growth initiatives, our ability to fund other initiatives and achieve our profitability goals may be adversely affected. Any failure to implement our funding-the-growth initiatives in accordance with our expectations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For additional information regarding our funding-the-growth initiatives, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Executive Overview.”
A cybersecurity incident, data breach or a failure of key technology systems could adversely impact our business.
We rely extensively on information and operational technology systems (“IT/OT Systems”), some of which are managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third parties, including cloud-based service providers, and their vendors, in order to conduct our business. Our uses of these systems include, but are not limited to:
•communicating within our company and with other parties, including our customers, suppliers and consumers;
•ordering and managing materials from suppliers;
•converting materials to finished products;
•receiving and processing orders from, shipping products to and invoicing our customers, suppliers and consumers;
•marketing products to consumers;
•collecting, storing, transferring and/or processing customer, consumer, employee, vendor, investor and other stakeholder information and personal data, including, but not limited to, such data from residents of states, countries and regions with comprehensive data protection laws and regulations;
•processing transactions, including but not limited to employee payroll, employee and retiree benefits and payments to customers, suppliers and vendors;
•hosting, processing and sharing confidential and proprietary research, intellectual property, business plans and financial information;
•summarizing and reporting results of operations, including financial reporting;
•managing our banking and other cash liquidity systems and platforms;
•complying with legal, regulatory and tax requirements;
•providing data security; and
•handling other processes involved in managing our business.
Although we have a broad array of information and operational security measures in place, our IT/OT Systems, including those of third-party service providers with whom we have contracted, have been, and will likely continue to be, subject to computer viruses or other malicious codes, unauthorized access attempts, phishing and other cyberattacks. Cyberattacks and other cyber incidents are occurring more frequently, are constantly evolving in nature, are becoming more sophisticated and are being made by different threat actors including groups, individuals and nation states with a wide range of expertise and motives. Such cyberattacks and cyber incidents can take many forms, including cyber extortion, social engineering, password theft or introduction of viruses or malware, such as ransomware. In addition, the techniques used in cyberattacks and cyber incidents continue to evolve and develop, including through the use of existing and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.
We cannot guarantee that our security efforts will prevent breaches or breakdowns of our or our third-party service providers’ IT/OT Systems because the techniques used in these attacks change frequently and may be difficult to detect for periods of time. In addition, although we have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all personal information collected by us or our third-party service providers is securely maintained, data leakages due to human error or intentional or unintentional conduct have occurred and likely will occur again. Furthermore, we periodically upgrade our IT/OT Systems or adopt new technologies. If such an upgrade or new technology does not function as designed or does not go as planned or if an attacker identifies a vulnerability in our IT/OT Systems, then our exposure to a cyberattack or cyber incident may increase significantly.
A cyberattack or cyber incident may adversely impact our business, including our ability to ship products to customers, issue invoices and process payments or order raw and packaging materials. Although we have seen no material impact on our business operations from the cybersecurity incidents we have experienced to date, if we suffer a significant loss or disclosure of confidential business or stakeholder information as a result of a breach of our IT/OT Systems, including those of third-party service providers with whom we have contracted, or otherwise, we may suffer reputational, competitive and/or business harm, incur significant costs and be subject to government investigations, litigation, fines and/or damages, which may adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of existing and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, may intensify our cybersecurity risks. Further, while we currently maintain insurance coverage that, subject to its terms and conditions, is intended to address costs associated with certain aspects of cybersecurity incidents and IT/OT System failures, this insurance coverage may not, depending on the specific facts and circumstances surrounding an incident, cover all losses or all types of claims that arise from an incident, or the damage to our business, reputation or brands that may result from an incident. As the frequency and magnitude of cybersecurity incidents increase globally, we may be unable to obtain the insurance coverage that we think is appropriate or necessary to offset the risk.
While we have disaster recovery and business continuity plans in place, if our IT/OT Systems are damaged, breached or cease to function properly for any reason, including the poor performance of, failure of or cyberattack on third-party
service providers, catastrophic events, power outages, cybersecurity breaches, network outages, failed upgrades or other similar events and, if the disaster recovery and business continuity plans do not effectively resolve such issues on a timely basis, we may suffer interruptions in our ability to manage or conduct business as well as reputational harm, and may be subject to governmental investigations and litigation, any of which may adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Climate change and other sustainability matters could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Climate change resulting in the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters and other extreme weather conditions may adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Specifically, the predicted physical effects of climate change may exacerbate challenges regarding the availability and quality of water and the cost, quality and availability of raw and packaging materials, pose physical risks to our facilities and those of our key suppliers, disrupt our global supply chain or impact demand for our products. In addition, the increased concern over climate change has resulted and is likely to continue to result in transition risks, including additional legal and regulatory requirements intended to, among other things, reduce or mitigate the effects of climate change and have related and may relate to, among other things, greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., carbon pricing), alternative energy policy and additional disclosure obligations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and extended producer responsibility obligations that relate to our product packaging. Such additional regulations may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition by increasing our compliance and manufacturing costs and/or negatively impacting our reputation if we are unable to, or are perceived (whether or not valid) not to, satisfy such requirements or expectations. Achieving our sustainability and social impact targets will require significant efforts from us and our stakeholders, such as our suppliers and other third parties. It will also require capital investment, additional expense (e.g., renewable energy costs) and the development of technology that may not currently exist. Failure to achieve our sustainability and social impact targets or the perception (whether or not valid) that we have failed to act responsibly with respect to such matters or to effectively respond to new or additional legal or regulatory requirements regarding climate change or other sustainability matters, could result in adverse publicity and increased litigation risk and adversely affect our business and reputation. There is also increased focus, including by governmental and non-governmental organizations, investors, customers, consumers, regulators, our employees and other stakeholders on these and other sustainability and social impact matters, including responsible sourcing, deforestation, animal welfare, labor, employment and human rights, the use of plastic, energy and water, the recyclability or recoverability of packaging, including single-use and other plastic packaging. From many of these stakeholders, there is also a growing demand for natural or organic products and ingredient transparency, such as sources of palm oil and palm kernel oil, and an increased focus on reducing our impact on nature. Our reputation could be damaged if we do not (or are perceived not to) act responsibly with respect to sustainability matters, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our reliance on third parties in many aspects of our business could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We use third parties including, but not limited to, suppliers, contract manufacturers, distributors, commercial banks and other external business partners, to support many aspects of our business including those that provide support across much of the lifespan of our products from the purchasing of ingredients up to and including the sale of our products to consumers. While we maintain robust policies and procedures to govern and manage our interactions with and requirements of these third parties, including building in redundancies and alternatives wherever possible, we inherently have a lesser degree of control over the business operations, governance and compliance of these unrelated entities. As a result, disruptions in these relationships or the failure of these third parties to meet their obligations to us could have an adverse effect on our reputation and our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
Our business is subject to legal and regulatory risks in the U.S. and abroad.
Our business is subject to extensive legal and regulatory requirements in the U.S. and abroad. Such legal and regulatory requirements apply to most aspects of our products, including their development, ingredients, formulation, manufacture, packaging, labeling, storage, transportation, distribution, export, import, advertising, sale and environmental impact. U.S. federal authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the Federal Trade
Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, regulate different aspects of our business, along with parallel authorities at the state and local levels and comparable authorities overseas. In addition, our selling practices are regulated by competition law authorities in the U.S. and abroad.
New or more stringent legal or regulatory requirements, or more restrictive interpretations of existing requirements, could adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For example, from time to time, various regulatory authorities around the world review the use of various ingredients and packaging content in consumer products. While we monitor and seek to mitigate the impact of any emerging information, a decision by a regulatory or governmental authority that any ingredient or packaging content in our products should be restricted or should otherwise be newly regulated could adversely impact our business and reputation, as could negative reactions by our consumers, trade customers or non-governmental organizations to our current or prior use of such ingredients or packaging. Additionally, an inability to develop new or reformulated products containing alternative ingredients, to obtain regulatory approval of such products or ingredients on a timely basis or to effectively market and sell such products could likewise adversely affect our business.
Because of our extensive international operations, we could be adversely affected by violations of worldwide anti-bribery laws, including those that prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government officials or other third parties for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and laws that prohibit commercial bribery. We are also subject to laws and sanctions imposed by the U.S. (including, without limitation, those imposed by OFAC) and/or by other jurisdictions that may prohibit us or certain of our affiliates from doing business in certain countries, or restrict the kind of business that may be conducted. While our policies mandate compliance with these laws, we cannot provide assurance that our internal control policies and procedures will always protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees, joint venture partners or agents. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and adversely affect our reputation and our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
While it is our policy and practice to comply with all legal and regulatory requirements applicable to our business, findings that we are in violation of, or out of compliance with, applicable laws or regulations have subjected us to, and could subject us to, civil remedies, including fines, damages, injunctions or product recalls, or criminal sanctions, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Even if a claim is unsuccessful, is without merit or is not fully pursued, the cost of responding to such a claim, including management time and out-of-pocket expenses, and the negative publicity surrounding such assertions regarding our products, processes or business practices could adversely affect our reputation, brand image and our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For information regarding our legal and regulatory matters, see Item 3 “Legal Proceedings” and Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Legal claims and proceedings could adversely impact our business.
As a global company serving consumers in more than 200 countries and territories, we are and may continue to be subject to a wide variety of legal claims and proceedings, including disputes relating to intellectual property, contracts, product liability, marketing, advertising, foreign exchange controls, antitrust and trade regulation, as well as labor and employment, pension, data privacy and security, environmental and tax matters and consumer class actions. Regardless of their merit, these claims can require significant time and expense to investigate and defend. Since litigation is inherently uncertain, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves against such claims or proceedings, or that our assessment of the materiality of these matters, including any reserves taken in connection therewith, will be consistent with the ultimate outcome of such matters. In addition, if one of our products, or an ingredient contained in our products, is perceived or found to be defective, or unsafe or have a quality issue, we have had to and may in the future need to withdraw, recall or reformulate some of our products. Whether or not a legal claim or proceeding is successful, or a withdrawal, recall or reformulation is required or advisable, such assertions could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, and the negative publicity surrounding them could harm our reputation and brand image. The resolution of, or increase in the reserves taken in connection with, one or more of these matters in any reporting period could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition for that period. See Item 3 “Legal Proceedings” and Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on certain of our legal claims and proceedings.
Financial and Economic Risks
Uncertain or unfavorable global economic conditions may adversely affect our business.
Uncertain or unfavorable global economic conditions could adversely affect our business. Unfavorable global economic conditions, such as a recession, an economic slowdown, inflation, higher interest rates and/or reduced category growth rates, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, have negatively impacted and/or could negatively impact our business and result in declining revenues, profitability and/or cash flows. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands and market our products at multiple price points, during periods of economic uncertainty or unfavorable economic conditions, consumers may have less consumer confidence, reduce consumption or discretionary spending and/or change their purchasing patterns by foregoing purchasing certain of our products or by switching to “private label,” or lower-priced product offerings. These changes could reduce demand for our products or result in a shift in our product mix, as consumers may choose products that sell at lower prices. Additionally, our retailers may be impacted and they may increase pressure on our selling prices or increase promotional activity for lower-priced or value offerings as they seek to maintain sales volumes and margins. Furthermore, economic conditions can cause our customers, suppliers, distributors, contract manufacturers, logistics providers or other third-party partners to suffer financial or operational difficulties, which may impact their ability to buy our products or provide us with or distribute finished product, raw and packaging materials and/or services in a timely manner or at all. In addition, we could face difficulty collecting or recovering accounts receivables from third parties facing financial or operational difficulties, including bankruptcies.
Disruptions in the credit markets or changes to our credit ratings may adversely affect our business.
While we currently generate significant cash flows from ongoing operations and have access to global credit markets through our various financing activities, a disruption or volatility in the credit markets, interest rate increases or changes to our credit rating could negatively impact the availability or further increase the cost of funding. Reduced access to credit or increased costs could adversely affect our liquidity and capital resources or significantly increase our cost of capital. In addition, if any financial institutions that hold our cash or other investments or that are parties to our undrawn revolving credit facility supporting our commercial paper programs or other financing arrangements, such as interest rate, foreign exchange or commodity hedging instruments, were to declare bankruptcy or become insolvent, they may be unable to perform under their agreements with us. This could leave us with reduced borrowing capacity or unhedged against certain interest rate, foreign currency or commodity price exposures. In addition, tighter or more volatile credit markets may lead to business disruptions for certain of our suppliers, contract manufacturers or trade customers which could, in turn, adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Tax matters, including changes in tax rates, disagreements with taxing authorities and imposition of new taxes could negatively impact our business.
We are subject to taxes in the U.S. and in the foreign jurisdictions where we do business. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions have been and may be subject to significant change. Changes in the mix of our earnings between countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities related to changes in tax rates, changes in tax laws, including how existing tax laws are interpreted or enforced, or contemplated changes in long-standing tax principles, if finalized and adopted, could adversely impact our future effective tax rate and business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For example, long-standing international tax norms that determine each country’s jurisdiction to tax cross-border international trade are evolving as a result of a multilateral project, the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project (the “BEPS Project”), that has established new principles and reporting requirements recommended by the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (the “OECD”). In connection with the BEPS Project, companies are required to disclose more information to tax authorities and the public on operations around the world, which may lead to greater audit scrutiny of profits earned in countries outside of the U.S. Many jurisdictions have already enacted legislation and adopted policies resulting from the BEPS Project. The OECD is also addressing the challenges of the digitization of the global economy with plans to redefine jurisdictional taxation rights in market countries and establish a global minimum tax. The European Union has established the Minimum Tax Directive (“Pillar II”) that provides for a minimum level of taxation for certain large corporations in every jurisdiction in which they operate. In addition, many other jurisdictions outside of the European Union have also implemented a similar minimum tax regime consistent with the policy of Pillar II. Detailed
regulations of these minimum tax regimes are still being considered in certain countries. Other than significant additional time and resources to comply, based on our preliminary evaluation, Pillar II did not have a material impact as of December 31, 2024 and we do not believe it will have a material impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. However, as these and other tax laws and related regulations change, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be materially impacted. For more information regarding recent legislation, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Results of Operations - Income Taxes.”
Furthermore, we are seeing an increase in regular reviews, examinations and audits by the Internal Revenue Service and increasingly aggressive enforcement actions by other taxing authorities with respect to taxes outside of the U.S. Although we believe our tax positions are sustainable, when a taxing authority disagrees with the positions we have taken, we have faced and in the future may face additional tax liabilities, including interest and penalties, in excess of reserves. The payment of such additional amounts upon final adjudication of any disputes could adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

---

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

---

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We own or lease approximately 315 properties, which include manufacturing, distribution, research and development and office facilities worldwide. Our corporate headquarters is located in a leased property at 300 Park Avenue, New York, New York.
In the U.S., we operate in approximately 85 properties, of which 17 are owned. Major U.S. manufacturing and warehousing facilities used by the Oral, Personal and Home Care product segment of our business are located in Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Pet Nutrition segment has major manufacturing and warehousing facilities in Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Outside the U.S., we operate in approximately 230 properties, of which 58 are owned, in over 80 countries. Major overseas manufacturing and warehousing facilities used by the Oral, Personal and Home Care product segment of our business are located in Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, Türkiye and Vietnam. The Pet Nutrition segment has major manufacturing and warehousing facilities in Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands.
The primary research and development center for Oral Care and Personal Care products is located in New Jersey, the primary research and development center for Home Care products is located in Mexico and the primary research and development center for Pet Nutrition products is located in Kansas. Our global data center is also located in New Jersey.
We have shared business service centers in India, Mexico and Poland, which are located in leased properties.
All of the facilities we operate are well maintained and adequate for the purpose for which they are intended.

---

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For information regarding legal proceedings, refer to Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report.

---

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II

---

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
For information regarding the market for the Company’s common stock, including stock price performance graphs, refer to “Market Information” included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report. For information regarding the securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans, refer to “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” included in Part III, Item 12 of this report.
As of December 31, 2024, the number of common shareholders of record was 15,598.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On March 10, 2022, the Board authorized the repurchase of shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate purchase price of up to $5 billion under a new share repurchase program (the “2022 Program”), which replaced a previously authorized share repurchase program. The Board also has authorized share repurchases on an ongoing basis to fulfill certain requirements of the Company’s compensation and benefit programs. The shares are repurchased from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions at the Company’s discretion, subject to market conditions, customary blackout periods and other factors.
The following table shows the share repurchase activity for the three months in the quarter ended December 31, 2024:
Month Total Number of Shares Purchased(1)
Average Price Paid per Share Total Number of Shares Purchased
as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs(2)
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(3)
(in millions)
October 1 through 31, 2024 1,194,671 $ 99.07 1,190,665 $ 1,517
November 1 through 30, 2024 554,917 $ 92.51 549,900 $ 1,466
December 1 through 31, 2024 3,045,662 $ 93.15 3,035,383 $ 1,183
Total 4,795,250 $ 94.55 4,775,948
(1)Includes share repurchases under the 2022 Program and those associated with certain employee elections under the Company’s compensation and benefit programs.
(2)The difference between the total number of shares purchased and the total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs is 19,302 shares, which represents shares deemed surrendered to the Company to satisfy certain employee elections under the Company’s compensation and benefit programs.
(3)Includes approximate dollar value of shares that were available to be purchased under the publicly announced plans or programs that were in effect as of December 31, 2024.

---

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6. [Reserved]
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)

---

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Executive Overview
Business Organization
Colgate-Palmolive Company (together with its subsidiaries, “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” or “Colgate”) is a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. We seek to deliver consistent compounded earnings per share growth to help drive superior total shareholder return, as well as to provide Colgate people with an innovative and inclusive work environment. We do this by developing and selling science-led products globally that make people’s and their pets’ lives healthier and more enjoyable and by embracing our Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy across our organization.
We are tightly focused on two product segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. Within these segments, we follow a closely defined business strategy to grow our key product categories and increase our overall market share. Within the categories in which we compete, we prioritize our efforts based on their capacity to maximize the use of the organization’s core competencies and strong global equities and to deliver sustainable, profitable long-term growth.
Operationally, we are organized along geographic lines with management teams having responsibility for the business and financial results in each region. We compete in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide with established businesses in all regions contributing to our sales and profitability. Approximately two-thirds of our Net sales are generated from markets outside the U.S., with approximately 45% of our Net sales coming from emerging markets (which consist of Latin America, Asia (excluding Japan), Africa/Eurasia and Central Europe). This geographic diversity and balance help to reduce our exposure to business and other risks in any one country or part of the world.
The Oral, Personal and Home Care product segment is managed geographically in five reportable operating segments: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa/Eurasia, all of which sell primarily to a variety of retailers, wholesalers, distributors, dentists and, in some geographies, skin health professionals. Through Hill’s Pet Nutrition, we also compete on a worldwide basis in the pet nutrition market, selling products principally through authorized pet supply retailers, veterinarians and eCommerce retailers. We also sell certain of our products direct-to-consumer. We are engaged in manufacturing and sourcing of products and materials on a global scale and have major manufacturing facilities, warehousing facilities and distribution centers in every region around the world.
In connection with management changes, we realigned the reporting structure of our skin health business effective July 1, 2024. Accordingly, commencing with the quarter ended September 30, 2024, the results of the skin health business previously reported within the Europe reportable operating segment are reported with our other skin health businesses in the North America reportable operating segment, with no impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position. The Company has recast its historical geographic segment information to conform to the new reporting structure.
On an ongoing basis, management focuses on a variety of key indicators to monitor business health and performance. These indicators include net sales (including volume, pricing and foreign exchange components), organic sales growth (net sales growth excluding the impact of foreign exchange, acquisitions and divestments), a non-GAAP financial measure, and gross profit margin, selling, general and administrative expenses, operating profit, net income and earnings per share, in each case, on a GAAP and a non-GAAP basis, as well as measures used to optimize the management of working capital, capital expenditures, cash flow and return on capital. In addition, we review market share, household penetration and other data to assess how our brands are performing within their categories on a global and regional basis. The monitoring of these indicators and our Code of Conduct and corporate governance practices help to maintain business health and strong internal controls. For additional information regarding non-GAAP financial measures and the Company’s use of market share data and the limitations of such data, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Market Share Information” below.
The War in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine, and the related geopolitical tensions, have had and continue to have a significant impact on our operations in Ukraine and Russia, though it has not been material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. We have no manufacturing facilities in Russia. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our business in the Eurasia region constituted approximately 1% of our consolidated net sales and approximately 2% of our consolidated operating profit.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, risks related to the impact of the war in Ukraine, including increases in the costs and, in certain cases, limitations on the availability of certain raw and packaging materials and commodities (including oil and natural gas), supply chain and logistics challenges, import restrictions, foreign currency volatility and reputational concerns. We also have faced and continue to face challenges to our ability to repatriate cash from Russia and identify banking partners to support our Russian operations and we may face challenges to our ability to protect our assets in Russia. We also continue to monitor the impact of sanctions, export controls and import restrictions imposed generally and in response to the war in Ukraine.
The Conflict in the Middle East
The conflict in the Middle East has not had a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Uncertainties and risks remain as to the duration of the conflict and its impact on geopolitical relations and stability in North Africa, the wider Middle East and nearby regions. The conflict has impacted and may continue to impact, among other things, supply chain and logistics, the availability and price of raw and packaging materials and commodities such as oil, consumer sentiment and consumption and category growth rates in the region.
For more information about factors that could impact our business, including due to geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, refer to Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business Strategy
To achieve our business and financial objectives, we are focused on delivering consistent compounded earnings per share growth through driving organic sales growth, operational efficiencies and leveraging the strength of our balance sheet. We believe increased household penetration and improved brand health are the keys to consistent organic sales growth and aim to achieve these through science-led, core and premium innovation, pursuing higher-growth adjacent categories and segments and expanding in faster-growing channels and markets. We aim to deliver margin expansion and cash flow growth through operating leverage and efficiency. We continue to prioritize our investments in high growth segments within our Oral Care, Personal Care and Pet Nutrition businesses. We also seek to lead in the development of human capital and to maximize the impact of our Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy. We are building and scaling our capabilities in areas such as innovation, digital, data, analytics and artificial intelligence, enabling us to be more responsive in today’s rapidly changing world. We continue to invest behind our brands, including through advertising, and to develop initiatives to build strong relationships with consumers, retailers and dental, veterinary and skin health professionals. We continue to believe that growth opportunities are greater in those areas of the world in which economic development and rising consumer incomes expand the size and number of markets for our products.
The investments needed to drive growth are supported through continuous, Company-wide initiatives to lower costs and increase effective asset utilization. Through these initiatives, which are referred to as our funding-the-growth initiatives, we seek to become even more effective and efficient throughout our businesses. These initiatives are designed to reduce costs associated with direct materials, indirect expenses, distribution and logistics and advertising and promotional materials, among other things, and encompass a wide range of projects, examples of which include raw material substitution, reduction of packaging materials, consolidating suppliers to leverage volumes and increasing manufacturing efficiency through SKU reductions and formulation simplification.
Significant Items Impacting Comparability
During the quarter ended June 30, 2023, we reassessed with our legal and tax advisers certain tax deductions taken in prior years by one of our subsidiaries and concluded that it was more likely than not that the deductions would not be sustained by the courts in that jurisdiction. The value of the tax deductions was not material to us in any year in which they were taken. The cumulative effect of the change in tax position of $148 was reflected as a discrete item in the quarter ended June 30, 2023 income tax expense, partially offset by the reversal of certain prior years’ withholding tax reserves of $22 that were no longer required (hereinafter referred to as the “foreign tax matter”). The tax liability was paid in the quarter ended September 30, 2023. See Note 10, Income Taxes, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
During the quarter ended March 31, 2023, we recorded a charge of $267 as a result of a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (the “Second Circuit”) affirming a grant of summary judgment to the plaintiffs in a
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
lawsuit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) seeking the recalculation of benefits and other relief associated with a 2005 residual annuity amendment to the Colgate-Palmolive Company Employees’ Retirement Income Plan (the “Retirement Plan”). The decision resulted in an increase in the obligations of the Retirement Plan, which based on the current funded status of the Retirement Plan and depending on further developments in the litigation, may require a cash contribution by the Company in 2025. In June 2023, we filed a petition for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court requesting permission for an appeal to that court, which was denied in October 2023. Also, in June 2023, the plaintiffs filed a motion to enter a revised final judgment in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “District Court”) to address certain unresolved calculation issues, which we opposed. In March 2024, the District Court granted the plaintiffs’ motion and found for the plaintiffs on those calculation issues. We have appealed that decision to the Second Circuit. See Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
During the quarter ended March 31, 2023, we announced a voluntary recall of select Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaner products sold in the United States and Canada. The costs associated with the voluntary recall had a $25 impact on our Operating profit in the quarter ended March 31, 2023.
On January 27, 2022, the Board approved a targeted productivity program (the “2022 Global Productivity Initiative”). All initiatives under the program have been implemented and the program concluded on December 31, 2024. The 2022 Global Productivity Initiative resulted in the reallocation of resources towards our strategic priorities and faster growth businesses, efficiencies in our operations and the streamlining of our supply chain to reduce structural costs. Total pretax charges from the implementation of the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative were $228 ($186 aftertax). Total annualized pretax savings from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative were approximately $125 ($100 aftertax). See “Restructuring and Related Implementation Charges” below and Note 3, Restructuring and Related Implementation Charges to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
In the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred pretax costs of $85 (aftertax costs of $73) and $32 (aftertax costs of $25), respectively, resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative.
Outlook
Looking forward, we expect global macroeconomic, political and market conditions to remain challenging, including as a result of inflation, high interest rates, foreign currency volatility and developments in trade relations following the imposition of new and/or additional tariffs by the United States and other countries. We have taken and are taking additional pricing to try to offset the increases in raw and packaging material costs we have seen in recent years. This has negatively impacted consumer demand for our products. Additionally, inflation has impacted the broader economy with consumers around the world facing widespread rising prices as well as high interest rates resulting from measures to address inflation.
Recent developments in trade relations and the imposition of new and/or additional tariffs by the United States and other countries, including following the United States’ February 2025 executive orders imposing tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, may contribute to inflationary pressures and, as a result, may impact consumer demand for our products. We are following the dynamic situation closely and evaluating the impact of such tariffs and any retaliatory actions taken by other countries on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. While we have made and will make efforts to mitigate the impact of these and any additional tariffs imposed by the United States and/or other countries, they could impact the cost and/or price of our products, the cost and availability of raw and packaging materials and commodities and/or consumer demand for our products due to, among other things, the impact of such tariffs on the global economy, inflationary pressures or geopolitical relations.
Such inflation and developments in trade relations as well as high interest rates may negatively impact consumer consumption or discretionary spending and/or change their purchasing patterns by foregoing purchasing certain of our products or by switching to “private label” or to our lower-priced product offerings. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands and market our products at multiple price points, these changes could reduce demand for and sales volumes of our products or result in a shift in our product mix from higher margin to lower margin product offerings. In light of this challenging environment, we expect continued volatility across all of our categories and it is therefore difficult to predict category growth rates in the near term.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Given that approximately two-thirds of our Net sales originate in markets outside the U.S., we have experienced and will likely continue to experience volatile foreign currency fluctuations, particularly in Argentina and Türkiye, which are considered hyper-inflationary economies. Effective January 1, 2025, we designated Nigeria as a hyper-inflationary economy. Consequently, the functional currency for our Nigerian subsidiary will be the U.S. dollar and the impact of all future Nigerian currency fluctuations will be recorded in income. However, this designation is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements. As discussed above, we continue to experience higher raw and packaging material costs, including the impact of transactional foreign exchange. While we have taken, and will continue to take, measures to mitigate the effect of these conditions, such as our funding-the-growth and revenue growth management initiatives, in the current environment it may become increasingly difficult to implement certain of these mitigation strategies. Should these conditions persist, they could adversely affect our future results.
While the global marketplace in which we operate has always been highly competitive, we continue to experience heightened competitive activity in certain markets from strong local competitors (including private label competitors), from other large multinational companies, some of which have greater resources than we do, and from new entrants into the market in many of our categories. Such activities have included more aggressive product claims and marketing challenges, as well as increased promotional spending and geographic expansion.
We have been negatively affected by changes in the policies and practices of our trade customers in key markets, such as inventory destocking, fulfillment requirements, technology-aided category pricing pressures, limitations on access to shelf space, delisting of our products and sustainability, supply chain and packaging standards or initiatives. In addition, the retail landscape in many of our markets continues to evolve as a result of the continued growth of eCommerce, changing consumer preferences (as consumers increasingly shop online, including to compare prices and product availability) and the increased presence of alternative retail channels, such as subscription services and direct-to-consumer businesses. We are building and scaling our capabilities in areas such as innovation, digital, data, analytics and artificial intelligence and investing behind higher growth businesses. The substantial growth in eCommerce and the emergence of alternative retail channels have created and may continue to create pricing pressures and/or adversely affect our relationships with our key retailers.
We continue to closely monitor the impact of geopolitical events and tensions, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, tensions between China and Taiwan and the developments in trade relations, and the challenging market conditions discussed above, on our business and the related uncertainties and risks. While we have taken, and will continue to take, measures to mitigate the effects of these events and conditions, we cannot estimate with certainty the full extent of their impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and/or financial condition. For more information about factors that could impact our business, see “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We believe that we are well prepared to meet the challenges ahead due to our strong financial condition, experience operating in challenging environments, resilient global supply chain, dedicated and diverse global team and focused business strategy. Our strategy is based on delivering consistent compounded earnings per share growth through driving organic sales growth, operational efficiencies and leveraging the strength of our balance sheet. We believe increased household penetration and improved brand health are the keys to consistent organic sales growth and aim to achieve these through science-led, core and premium innovation, pursuing higher-growth adjacent categories and segments and expanding in faster-growing channels and markets. We aim to deliver margin expansion and cash flow growth through operating leverage and efficiency. We also seek to lead in the development of human capital and to maximize our Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy. Our commitment to these priorities, the strength of our brands, the breadth of our global footprint and a commitment to profitability and driving efficiency in cash generation should position us well to manage through the challenges we face and increase shareholder value over time.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Results of Operations
This section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2024 and 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023. Discussions of 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Net Sales
Worldwide Net sales were $20,101 in 2024, up 3.3% from 2023, driven by volume growth of 3.1% and net selling price increases of 4.4%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 4.1%. Organic sales (Net sales excluding, as applicable, the impact of foreign exchange, acquisitions and divestments), a non-GAAP financial measure as discussed below, increased 7.4% in 2024.
Net sales in the Oral, Personal and Home Care product segment were $15,618 in 2024, up 3.0% from 2023, driven by volume growth of 3.7% and net selling price increases of 4.4%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 5.2%. Organic sales in the Oral, Personal and Home Care product segment increased 8.1% in 2024.
The increase in organic sales in 2024 versus 2023 was due to increases in Oral Care, Home Care and Personal Care organic sales. The increase in Oral Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the toothpaste and manual toothbrush categories. The increase in Home Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the surface cleaner and fabric softener categories. The increase in Personal Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the liquid hand soap and body wash categories, partially offset by organic sales declines in the skin health category.
The Company’s share of the global toothpaste market was 41.4% for full year 2024, up 0.3 share points from full year 2023, and its share of the global manual toothbrush market was 32.2% for full year 2024, up 0.7 share points versus full year 2023. Full year 2024 market shares in toothpaste were up in Latin America, Europe and Africa/Eurasia, flat in Asia Pacific and down in North America versus full year 2023. In the manual toothbrush category, full year 2024 market shares were up in North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific and flat in Europe and Africa/Eurasia versus full year 2023. For additional information regarding the Company’s use of market share data and limitations of such data, see “Market Share Information” below.
Net sales for Hill’s Pet Nutrition were $4,483 in 2024, up 4.5% from 2023, driven by volume growth of 0.8% and net selling price increases of 4.1%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 0.4%. Organic sales for Hill’s Pet Nutrition increased 4.9% in 2024.
The increase in organic sales in 2024 versus 2023 was due to increases in organic sales in the therapeutic and wellness categories.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Gross Profit/Margin
Worldwide Gross profit increased 7% to $12,161 in 2024 from $11,326 in 2023. Worldwide Gross profit in both periods included charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. Excluding these charges in both periods, worldwide Gross profit increased to $12,181 in 2024 compared to $11,327 in 2023, reflecting an increase of $482 resulting from higher Gross profit margin and an increase of $372 resulting from higher Net sales.
Worldwide Gross profit margin increased to 60.5% in 2024 from 58.2% in 2023. Excluding charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative in 2024, Gross profit margin increased to 60.6% in 2024 from 58.2% in 2023. This increase in Gross profit margin was due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (280 bps), higher pricing (170 bps) and favorable mix (20 bps), partially offset by higher raw and packaging material costs (230 bps), which included foreign exchange transaction costs.
2024 2023
Gross profit, GAAP $ 12,161 $ 11,326
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 20 1
Gross profit, non-GAAP $ 12,181 $ 11,327
2024 2023 Basis Point Change
Gross profit margin, GAAP 60.5 % 58.2 % 230
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 0.1 % -
Gross profit margin, non-GAAP 60.6 % 58.2 % 240
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 8% to $7,729 in 2024 from $7,151 in 2023. Selling, general and administrative expenses in both periods included charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. Excluding these charges in both periods, Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $7,723 in 2024 from $7,149 in 2023, reflecting increased advertising investment of $349 and higher overhead expenses of $225.
Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of Net sales increased to 38.5% in 2024 from 36.8% in 2023. Excluding charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative in both periods, Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of Net sales increased to 38.4% in 2024 from 36.7% in 2023. This increase was due to increased advertising investment (130 bps) and higher overhead expenses (40 bps), both as a percentage of Net sales. In 2024, advertising investment increased as a percentage of Net sales to 13.5% from 12.2% in 2023 and increased by 14.7% in absolute terms to $2,720 as compared with $2,371 in 2023.
2024 2023
Selling, general and administrative expenses, GAAP $ 7,729 $ 7,151
2022 Global Productivity Initiative (6) (2)
Selling, general and administrative expenses, non-GAAP $ 7,723 $ 7,149
2024 2023 Basis Point Change
Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of Net sales, GAAP 38.5 % 36.8 % 170
2022 Global Productivity Initiative (0.1) % (0.1) %
Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of Net sales, non-GAAP 38.4 % 36.7 % 170
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Other (Income) Expense, Net
Other (income) expense, net was $164 and $191 in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Other (income) expense, net in 2024 included charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. Other (income) expense, net in 2023 included product recall costs and charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative.
2024 2023
Other (income) expense, net, GAAP $ 164 $ 191
2022 Global Productivity Initiative (59) (24)
Product recall costs - (25)
Other (income) expense, net, non-GAAP $ 105 $ 142
Excluding the items described above in both periods, as applicable, Other (income) expense, net was $105 in 2024 and $142 in 2023, comprised of the following:
2024 2023
Amortization of intangible assets $ 75 $ 72
Equity income (22) (17)
Losses (gains) from marketable securities and other assets 6 11
Indirect tax payments (refunds) 27 18
Other, net 19 58
Total Other (income) expense, net, non-GAAP $ 105 $ 142
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Operating Profit
Operating profit increased 7% to $4,268 in 2024 from $3,984 in 2023. In 2024, Operating profit included charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. In 2023, Operating profit included charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative and product recall costs. Excluding these items in both periods, as applicable, Operating profit increased 8% to $4,353 in 2024 from $4,036 in 2023 primarily due to an increase in Gross profit, partially offset by an increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses.
Operating profit margin was 21.2% in 2024, an increase of 70 bps compared with 20.5% in 2023. Excluding the items described above in both periods, as applicable, Operating profit margin was 21.7% in 2024, an increase of 100 bps from 20.7% in 2023, primarily due to an increase in Gross profit (240 bps), partially offset by an increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses (170 bps), both as a percentage of Net sales.
2024 2023 % Change
Operating profit, GAAP $ 4,268 $ 3,984 7 %
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 85 27
Product recall costs - 25
Operating profit, non-GAAP $ 4,353 $ 4,036 8 %
2024 2023 Basis Point Change
Operating profit margin, GAAP 21.2 % 20.5 % 70
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 0.5 % 0.1 %
Product recall costs - % 0.1 %
Operating profit margin, non-GAAP 21.7 % 20.7 % 100
Non-Service Related Postretirement Costs
Non-service related postretirement costs were $87 in 2024 compared to $360 in 2023. In 2023, Non-service related postretirement costs included charges related to the ERISA litigation matter and the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. Excluding these charges in 2023, Non-service related postretirement costs were $87 in 2024 compared to $88 in 2023.
2024 2023
Non-service related postretirement costs, GAAP $ 87 $ 360
ERISA litigation matter - (267)
2022 Global Productivity Initiative - (5)
Non-service related postretirement costs, non-GAAP $ 87 $ 88
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $292 in 2024 as compared to $287 in 2023.
Interest Income
Interest income was $67 in 2024 as compared to $55 in 2023.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rate was 22.9% in 2024 and 27.6% in 2023. As reflected in the table below, the non-GAAP effective income tax rate was 22.7% in 2024 and 23.6% in 2023.
Income Before Income Taxes Provision For Income Taxes(1)
Effective Income Tax Rate(2)
As Reported GAAP $ 3,956 $ 907 22.9 %
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 85 12 (0.2) %
Non-GAAP $ 4,041 $ 919 22.7 %
Income Before Income Taxes Provision For Income Taxes(1)
Effective Income Tax Rate(2)
As Reported GAAP $ 3,392 $ 937 27.6 %
ERISA litigation matter 267 55 (0.5) %
Foreign tax matter - (126) (3.4) %
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 32 6 (0.1) %
Product recall costs 25 6 - %
Non-GAAP $ 3,716 $ 878 23.6 %
(1) The income tax effect on non-GAAP items is calculated based upon the tax laws and statutory income tax rates applicable in the tax jurisdiction(s) of the underlying non-GAAP adjustment.
(2) The impact of non-GAAP items on the Company’s effective tax rate represents the difference in the effective tax rate calculated with and without the non-GAAP adjustment on Income before income taxes and Provision for income taxes.
The effective income tax rate in all years benefited from tax planning associated with the Company’s global business initiatives.
In the third quarter of 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued a notice giving taxpayers temporary relief from the effects of certain U.S. tax regulations that were issued in December 2021, which place greater restrictions on foreign taxes that are creditable against U.S. taxes on foreign-source income. This notice allowed taxpayers to defer the application of these new regulations through the end of 2023. In December 2023, the IRS issued further guidance modifying this temporary relief period to the date that a notice or other guidance withdrawing or modifying the temporary relief is issued. The Company will recognize the impact, if any, in the period in which the temporary relief is withdrawn or modified.
During the quarter ended June 30, 2023, we reassessed with our legal and tax advisers certain tax deductions taken in prior years by one of our subsidiaries and concluded that it was more likely than not that the deductions would not be sustained by the courts in that jurisdiction. The value of the tax deductions was not material to us in any year in which they were taken. The cumulative effect of the change in tax position of $148 was reflected as a discrete item in the quarter ended June 30, 2023 income tax expense, partially offset by the reversal of certain prior years’ withholding tax reserves of $22 that were no longer required. The tax liability was paid in the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”) was enacted, which among other things, implements a 15% minimum tax on book income of certain large corporations effective for years beginning after December 31, 2022. Based on the Company’s analysis, as well as guidance published by the IRS, the IRA, and in particular the 15% minimum tax, did not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Subsequent to the aforementioned guidance published by the IRS, on September 12, 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS released proposed regulations relating to this 15% minimum tax. Based on the Company’s analysis, these proposed regulations, if finalized in their current form, are not expected to have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. However, the Company will continue to evaluate any additional guidance and clarification that becomes available.
Additionally, on December 15, 2022, the 27 member states of the European Union (“EU”) reached an agreement on a minimum level of taxation for certain large corporations to pay a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% in every jurisdiction in which they operate. This agreement, which is known as the Minimum Tax Directive (part of the “Pillar II Model
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Rules”), was supposed to be transposed into the laws of all EU member states by December 31, 2023. Most member states complied, while some were granted extensions of time. In addition, many other jurisdictions outside the EU have implemented a similar minimum tax regime consistent with the policy of the Pillar II Model Rules. Detailed regulations of these minimum tax regimes are still being considered in certain countries and, in some cases, enactment and timing is still uncertain. Based on current legislation and available guidance, apart from a significant additional compliance burden, Pillar II did not have a material impact as of December 31, 2024 and the Company does not believe it will have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements. However, as these rules and related regulations are revised and implemented, the Company will evaluate the impact, if any, on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company has ongoing federal, state and international income tax audits in various jurisdictions and evaluates uncertain tax positions that may be challenged by local tax authorities and not fully sustained. All U.S. federal income tax returns through December 31, 2013 have been audited by the IRS and there are limited matters which the Company plans to appeal for years 2010 through 2013. One such matter relates to the IRS assessment of taxes on the Company by imputing income on certain activities within one of our international operations, which is also under audit for the years 2014 through 2018. There were U.S. Tax Court rulings during 2023 in favor of the IRS against unrelated third parties on similar matters. Despite the U.S. Tax Court rulings, the Company continues to believe that the tax assessment against the Company is without merit. While there can be no assurances, the Company believes this matter will ultimately be decided in favor of the Company. The amount of tax plus interest for the years 2010 through 2018 is estimated to be approximately $153, which is not included in the Company’s uncertain tax positions. In May 2024, the IRS initiated an audit for the years 2019 through 2021.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and Earnings per share
Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company was $2,889, or $3.51 per share on a diluted basis, in 2024, an increase from $2,300, or $2.77 per share on a diluted basis, in 2023. In 2024, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company included charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. In 2023, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company included charges resulting from the ERISA litigation matter, the foreign tax matter and the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative and product recall costs.
Excluding the items described above in both periods, as applicable, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company increased 10% to $2,962 in 2024 from $2,682 in 2023, and Earnings per common share on a diluted basis increased 11% to $3.60 in 2024 from $3.23 in 2023.
Income Before Income Taxes Provision For Income Taxes(1)
Net Income Including Noncontrolling Interests Less: Income Attributable To Noncontrolling Interests Net Income Attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company Diluted Earnings Per Share(2)
As Reported GAAP $ 3,956 $ 907 $ 3,049 $ 160 $ 2,889 $ 3.51
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 85 12 73 - 73 0.09
Non-GAAP $ 4,041 $ 919 $ 3,122 $ 160 $ 2,962 $ 3.60
Income Before Income Taxes Provision For Income Taxes(1)
Net Income Including Noncontrolling Interests Less: Income Attributable To Noncontrolling Interests Net Income Attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company Diluted Earnings Per Share(2)
As Reported GAAP $ 3,392 $ 937 $ 2,455 $ 155 $ 2,300 $ 2.77
ERISA litigation matter 267 55 212 - 212 0.26
Foreign tax matter - (126) 126 - 126 0.15
2022 Global Productivity Initiative 32 6 26 1 25 0.03
Product recall costs 25 6 19 - 19 0.02
Non-GAAP $ 3,716 $ 878 $ 2,838 $ 156 $ 2,682 $ 3.23
(1) The income tax effect on non-GAAP items is calculated based upon the tax laws and statutory income tax rates applicable in the tax jurisdiction(s) of the underlying non-GAAP adjustment.
(2) The impact of non-GAAP adjustments on diluted earnings per share may not necessarily equal the difference between “GAAP” and “non-GAAP” as a result of rounding.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Segment Results
The Company markets its products in over 200 countries and territories throughout the world in two product segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Company uses Operating profit as a measure of the operating segment performance because it excludes the impact of corporate-driven decisions related to interest expense and income taxes.
Oral, Personal and Home Care
North America
2024 2023 % Change
Net sales $ 4,113 $ 4,091 0.5 %
Operating profit $ 839 $ 871 (4) %
% of Net sales 20.4 % 21.3 % (90) bps
Net sales in North America increased 0.5% in 2024 to $4,113, driven by volume growth of 2.6%, partially offset by net selling price decreases of 1.9% and negative foreign exchange of 0.1%. Organic sales in North America increased 0.7% in 2024. The organic sales growth was driven by the United States and Canada.
The increase in organic sales in North America in 2024 versus 2023 was due to increases in Home Care and Oral Care organic sales, partially offset by a decrease in Personal Care organic sales. The increase in Home Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the surface cleaner category, partially offset by an organic sales decline in the hand dish category. The increase in Oral Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the toothpaste and manual toothbrush categories. The decrease in Personal Care was primarily due to organic sales declines in the skin health and underarm protection categories, partially offset by organic sales growth in the liquid hand soap category.
Operating profit in North America decreased 4% in 2024 to $839, or 90 bps to 20.4% as a percentage of Net Sales. This decrease in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was due to an increase in Gross profit (60 bps), more than offset by an increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses (150 bps), both as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Gross profit was primarily due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (210 bps), partially offset by lower pricing and higher raw and packaging material costs (50 bps). This increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily due to increased advertising investment (140 bps).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Latin America
2024 2023 % Change
Net sales $ 4,782 $ 4,640 3.1 %
Operating profit $ 1,526 $ 1,417 8 %
% of Net sales 31.9 % 30.5 % 140 bps
Net sales in Latin America increased 3.1% in 2024 to $4,782, driven by volume growth of 3.9% and net selling price increases of 12.9%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 13.7%. Organic sales in Latin America increased 16.8% in 2024. Organic sales growth was led by Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
The increase in organic sales in Latin America in 2024 versus 2023 was due to increases in Oral Care, Home Care and Personal Care organic sales. The increase in Oral Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the toothpaste, manual toothbrush and mouthwash categories. The increase in Home Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the surface cleaner and hand dish categories. The increase in Personal Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the underarm protection category.
Operating profit in Latin America increased 8% in 2024 to $1,526, or 140 bps to 31.9% as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to an increase in Gross profit (220 bps), partially offset by an increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses (100 bps), both as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Gross profit was due to higher pricing and cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (290 bps), partially offset by significantly higher raw and packaging material costs (540 bps), which included foreign exchange transaction costs. This increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses was due to higher overhead expenses (60 bps) and increased advertising investment (50 bps).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Europe
2024 2023 % Change
Net sales $ 2,770 $ 2,571 7.7 %
Operating profit $ 658 $ 573 15 %
% of Net sales 23.7 % 22.3 % 140 bps
Net sales in Europe increased 7.7% in 2024 to $2,770, driven by volume growth of 4.1%, net selling price increases of 2.5% and positive foreign exchange of 1.1%. Organic sales in Europe increased 6.7% in 2024. Organic sales growth was led by Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Poland.
The increase in organic sales in Europe in 2024 versus 2023 was primarily due to increases in Oral Care and Personal Care organic sales. The increase in Oral Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the toothpaste category. The increase in Personal Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the body wash category.
Operating profit in Europe increased 15% in 2024 to $658, or 140 bps to 23.7% as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to an increase in Gross profit (370 bps), partially offset by an increase in Selling, general and administrative expense (230 bps), both as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Gross profit was due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (290 bps), higher pricing and favorable mix (70 bps), partially offset by higher raw and packaging material costs (100 bps). This increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily due to increased advertising investment (220 bps).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Asia Pacific
2024 2023 % Change
Net sales $ 2,858 $ 2,782 2.7 %
Operating profit $ 812 $ 767 6 %
% of Net sales 28.4 % 27.6 % 80 bps
Net sales in Asia Pacific increased 2.7% in 2024 to $2,858, driven by volume growth of 3.1% and net selling price increases of 1.0%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 1.3%. Organic sales in Asia Pacific increased 4.0% in 2024. Organic sales growth was led by India, the Philippines, Australia and the Greater China region.
The increase in organic sales in 2024 versus 2023 was primarily due to an increase in Oral Care organic sales. The increase in Oral Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the toothpaste category.
Operating profit in Asia Pacific increased 6% in 2024 to $812, or 80 bps to 28.4% as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was due to an increase in Gross profit (210 bps) and a decrease in Other (income) expense, net (30 bps), partially offset by an increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses (160 bps), all as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Gross profit was due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (280 bps) and higher pricing, partially offset by higher raw and packaging material costs (110 bps). This increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses was due to increased advertising investment (160 bps).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Africa/Eurasia
2024 2023 % Change
Net sales $ 1,095 $ 1,083 1.2 %
Operating profit $ 253 $ 254 - %
% of Net sales 23.1 % 23.5 % (40) bps
Net sales in Africa/Eurasia increased 1.2% in 2024 to $1,095, driven by volume growth of 7.6% and net selling price increases of 5.7%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 12.1%. Organic sales in Africa/Eurasia increased 13.3% in 2024. Organic sales growth was led by Türkiye, Nigeria and the North Africa/Middle East region.
The increase in organic sales in 2024 versus 2023 was primarily due to increases in Oral Care and Home Care organic sales. The increase in Oral Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the toothpaste and manual toothbrush categories. The increase in Home Care was primarily due to organic sales growth in the bleach category.
Operating profit in Africa/Eurasia was flat at $253 versus 2023, and as a percentage of Net sales decreased by 40 bps to 23.1%. This decrease in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was due to an increase in Gross profit (140 bps), more than offset by an increase in Selling, general, and administrative expense (120 bps) and an increase in Other (income) expense, net (60 bps), all as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Gross profit was due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (250 bps), higher pricing and favorable mix (30 bps), partially offset by significantly higher raw and packaging material costs (340 bps), which included foreign exchange transaction costs. This increase in Selling, general and administrative expense was due to higher overhead expense (70 bps) and increased advertising investment (50 bps).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Hill’s Pet Nutrition
2024 2023 % Change
Net sales $ 4,483 $ 4,290 4.5 %
Operating profit $ 965 $ 806 20 %
% of Net sales 21.5 % 18.8 % 270 bps
Net sales for Hill’s Pet Nutrition increased 4.5% in 2024 to $4,483, driven by volume growth of 0.8% and net selling price increases of 4.1%, partially offset by negative foreign exchange of 0.4%. Organic sales in Hill’s Pet Nutrition increased 4.9% in 2024. Organic sales growth was led by the United States despite a negative impact from lower private label pet nutrition sales of 210 bps.
The increase in organic sales in 2024 versus 2023 was due to organic sales growth in the therapeutic and wellness categories.
Operating profit in Hill’s Pet Nutrition increased 20% in 2024 to $965, or 270 bps to 21.5% as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Operating profit as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to an increase in Gross profit (410 bps), partially offset by an increase in Selling, general, and administrative expense (180 bps), both as a percentage of Net sales. This increase in Gross profit was due to cost savings from the Company’s funding-the-growth initiatives (340 bps), higher pricing and favorable mix (50 bps), partially offset by higher raw and packaging material costs (170 bps). This increase in Selling, general and administrative expense was primarily due to increased advertising investment (190 bps).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Corporate
2024 2023 % Change
Operating profit (loss) $ (784) $ (704) 11 %
Corporate operations include Corporate overhead costs, research and development costs, stock-based compensation expense related to stock options and restricted stock unit awards, restructuring and related implementation costs and gains and losses on sales of non-core product lines. The components of Operating profit (loss) for the Corporate segment are presented as follows:
2024 2023
2022 Global Productivity Initiative $ (85) $ (27)
Product Recall Costs - (25)
Corporate overhead costs and other, net (699) (652)
Total Corporate Operating profit (loss) $ (784) $ (704)
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Restructuring and Related Implementation Charges
On January 27, 2022, the Board approved the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. All initiatives under the program have been implemented and the program concluded on December 31, 2024. The 2022 Global Productivity Initiative resulted in the reallocation of resources towards the Company’s strategic priorities and faster growth businesses, efficiencies in the Company’s operations and the streamlining of its supply chain to reduce structural costs.
Over the course of the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative, the Company incurred total pretax charges of $228 ($186 aftertax) in connection with the implementation of various projects as follows:
Total Program Charges
as of December 31, 2024
Employee-Related Costs $ 175
Incremental Depreciation 13
Asset Impairments 1
Other 39
Total $ 228
Total pretax charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative were comprised of the following categories: employee-related costs, including severance, pension and other termination benefits (80%); asset-related costs, primarily accelerated depreciation and asset write-downs (5%); and other charges (15%), which include contract termination costs, consisting primarily of implementation-related charges resulting directly from exit activities and the implementation of new strategies. Over the course of the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative, approximately 80% of the charges resulted in cash expenditures.
Total annualized pretax savings from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative were approximately $125 ($100 aftertax).
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, charges resulting from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative are reflected in the income statement as follows:
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
2024 2023
Gross Profit $ 20 $ 1
Selling, general and administrative expenses 6 2
Other (income) expense, net 59 24
Non-service related postretirement costs - 5
Total 2022 Global Productivity Initiative charges, pretax $ 85 $ 32
Total 2022 Global Productivity Initiative charges, aftertax $ 73 $ 25
Restructuring and related implementation charges are recorded in the Corporate segment as these initiatives are predominantly centrally directed and controlled and are not included in internal measures of segment operating performance.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Total charges incurred for the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative relate to initiatives undertaken by the following reportable operating segments:
Twelve Months Ended December 31, Total Program Charges
2024 2023
North America(1)
3 % 15 % 9 %
Latin America - % - % 9 %
Europe(1)
89 % 19 % 44 %
Asia Pacific - % 20 % 7 %
Africa/Eurasia - % 5 % 6 %
Hill's Pet Nutrition 6 % 23 % 11 %
Corporate 2 % 18 % 14 %
Total 100 % 100 % 100 %
(1) The Company has recast its historical geographic segment information to conform to the reporting structure effective as of July 1, 2024.
The following table summarizes the activity for the restructuring and related implementation charges discussed above and the related accruals:
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
Employee-Related
Costs Incremental
Depreciation Asset
Impairments Other Total
Balance at December 31, 2022 $ 30 $ - $ 1 $ 3 $ 34
Charges 24 - - 8 32
Cash Payments (45) - - (10) (55)
Charges against assets (5) - (1) - (6)
Foreign exchange 6 - - - 6
Balance at December 31, 2023 $ 10 $ - $ - $ 1 $ 11
Charges 49 13 - 23 85
Cash Payments (20) - - (14) (34)
Charges against assets - (13) - - (13)
Foreign exchange (5) - - - (5)
Balance at December 31, 2024 $ 34 $ - $ - $ 10 $ 44
Employee-Related Costs primarily include severance and other termination benefits and are calculated based on long-standing benefit practices, written severance policies, local statutory requirements and, in certain cases, voluntary termination arrangements. Employee-Related Costs also include pension enhancements which are reflected as Charges against assets within Employee-Related Costs in the preceding table, as the corresponding balance sheet amounts are reflected as a reduction of pension assets or an increase in pension liabilities.
Incremental Depreciation is recorded to reflect changes in useful lives and estimated residual values for long-lived assets that will be taken out of service prior to the end of their normal service period. Asset Impairments are recorded to write down inventories and assets held for sale or disposal to their fair value based on amounts expected to be realized. Charges against assets within Asset Impairments are net of cash proceeds pertaining to the sale of certain assets, as applicable.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This Annual Report on Form 10-K discusses certain financial measures on both a GAAP and a non-GAAP basis. The Company uses the non-GAAP financial measures described below internally in its budgeting process, to evaluate segment and overall operating performance and as a factor in determining compensation. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating the Company’s underlying business performance and trends; however, 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. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be the same as similar measures presented by other companies.
Net sales growth (GAAP) and organic sales growth (Net sales growth excluding the impact of foreign exchange, acquisitions and divestments) (non-GAAP) are discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 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 of acquisitions and divestments, as applicable. A reconciliation of organic sales growth to Net sales growth for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 is provided below.
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 Earnings per share on a diluted basis are discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K both on a GAAP basis and excluding, as applicable, charges resulting from the ERISA litigation matter, the foreign tax matter and the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative and product recall costs. 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. A reconciliation of each of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 is presented within the applicable section of Results of Operations.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
The following tables provide a quantitative reconciliation of Net sales growth to organic sales growth for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 versus the prior year:
Year ended December 31, 2024
Net Sales Growth
(GAAP) Foreign
Exchange
Impact Acquisitions and Divestments
Impact
Organic
Sales Growth
(Non-GAAP)
Oral, Personal and Home Care
North America(1)
0.5% (0.1)% -% 0.7%
Latin America 3.1% (13.7)% -% 16.8%
Europe(1)
7.7% 1.1% -% 6.7%
Asia Pacific 2.7% (1.3)% -% 4.0%
Africa/Eurasia 1.2% (12.1)% -% 13.3%
Total Oral, Personal and Home Care 3.0% (5.2)% -% 8.1%
Pet Nutrition 4.5% (0.4)% -% 4.9%
Total Company 3.3% (4.1)% -% 7.4%
Note: Table may not sum due to rounding.
(1) The Company has recast its historical geographic segment information to conform to the reporting structure effective as of July 1, 2024.
Year ended December 31, 2023
Net Sales Growth
(GAAP) Foreign
Exchange
Impact Acquisitions and Divestments
Impact Organic
Sales Growth
(Non-GAAP)
Oral, Personal and Home Care
North America(1)
2.2% (0.2)% -% 2.4%
Latin America 16.5% 1.1% -% 15.4%
Europe(1)
8.9% 2.6% -% 6.3%
Asia Pacific (1.6)% (3.8)% -% 2.3%
Africa/Eurasia 0.1% (17.2)% -% 17.3%
Total Oral, Personal and Home Care 6.4% (1.4)% -% 7.8%
Pet Nutrition 15.5% (0.5)% 5.4% 10.6%
Total Company 8.3% (1.2)% 1.1% 8.4%
Note: Table may not sum due to rounding.
(1) The Company has recast its historical geographic segment information to conform to the reporting structure effective as of July 1, 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K 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).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
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 or certain 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 we use to provide data are reliable, but we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the data or any assumptions underlying the data. In addition, market share information calculated by the Company may be different from market share information calculated by other companies due to differences in category definitions, the use of data from different countries, internal estimates and other factors.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company expects cash flow from operations and debt issuances will be sufficient to meet foreseeable business operating and recurring cash needs (including for debt service, dividends, capital expenditures, share repurchases and acquisitions). The Company believes its strong cash generation and financial position should continue to allow it broad access to global credit and capital markets.
Cash Flow
Net cash provided by operations increased 10% to $4,107 in 2024 as compared to $3,745 in 2023, primarily due to higher net income, partially offset by changes in working capital. The Company’s working capital as a percentage of Net sales was (5.2)% in 2024 and (1.4)% in 2023. This change in working capital as a percentage of Net sales was primarily due to higher accounts payable and accruals. The Company defines working capital as the difference between current assets (excluding Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, the latter of which is reported in Other current assets) and current liabilities (excluding short-term debt).
Investing activities used $534 of cash in 2024 compared to $742 during 2023.
Capital expenditures in the year ended December 31, 2024 were $561, a decrease from $705 in 2023. Capital expenditures for 2025 are expected to be approximately 3.0% of Net sales. The Company continues to focus its capital spending on projects that are expected to yield high aftertax returns.
Financing activities used $3,389 of cash during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $2,793 during 2023. The increase in cash used was primarily due to higher share repurchases, partially offset by higher proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
Long-term debt, including the current portion, decreased to $7,941 as of December 31, 2024, as compared to $8,239 as of December 31, 2023, and total debt decreased to $7,949 as of December 31, 2024 as compared to $8,549 as of December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company redeemed at maturity $500 of ten-year Medium-Term Notes with a fixed coupon of 3.25%. The redemption was financed with commercial paper borrowings.
In March 2023, the Company issued $500 of three-year Senior Notes at a fixed coupon rate of 4.800%, $500 of five-year Senior Notes at a fixed coupon rate of 4.600% and $500 of ten-year Senior Notes at a fixed coupon rate of 4.600%. The Company’s debt issuances support the Company’s capital structure objectives of funding its business and growth initiatives while minimizing its risk-adjusted cost of capital.
At December 31, 2024, the Company had access to unused domestic and foreign lines of credit of $3,725 (including under the facility discussed below) and could also issue long-term debt pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement.
In November 2022, the Company entered into an amended and restated $3,000 five-year revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks for a five-year term expiring November 2027, which replaced, on substantially similar terms, the Company’s $3,000 revolving credit facility that was scheduled to expire in August 2026. In November 2023, the Company extended the term of the credit facility for an additional year, expiring in November 2028. In November 2024, the Company further extended the term of the credit facility for an additional year, expiring in November 2029. Commitment fees related to the credit facility were not material.
Domestic and foreign commercial paper outstanding was $936 and $906 as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. The average daily balances outstanding of commercial paper in 2024 and 2023 were $1,710 and $1,800, respectively. The Company classifies commercial paper as long-term debt when it has the intent and ability to refinance such obligations on a long-term basis, including, if necessary, by utilizing its available lines of credit (under the facilities discussed above).
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
The following is a summary of the Company’s commercial paper as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
2024 2023
Weighted Average Interest Rate Maturities Outstanding Weighted Average
Interest Rate Maturities Outstanding
Commercial Paper 3.0 % 2025 $ 936 4.0 % 2024 $ 906
Certain of the agreements with respect to the Company’s bank borrowings contain financial and other covenants as well as cross-default provisions. Noncompliance with these requirements could ultimately result in the acceleration of amounts owed. The Company is in full compliance with all such requirements and believes the likelihood of noncompliance is remote. Refer to Note 5, Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about the Company’s long-term debt and credit facilities.
Dividend payments in 2024 were $1,789, an increase from $1,749 in 2023. Dividend payments increased to $1.98 per share in 2024 from $1.91 per share in 2023. In the first quarter of 2024, the Company increased the quarterly common stock dividend to $0.50 per share from $0.48 per share, effective in the second quarter of 2024.
The Company repurchases shares of its common stock in the open market and in private transactions to maintain its targeted capital structure and to fulfill certain requirements of its compensation and benefit plans. On March 10, 2022, the Board authorized the repurchase of shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate purchase price of up to $5 billion under the 2022 Program, which replaced a previously authorized share repurchase program. The Board also has authorized share repurchases on an ongoing basis to fulfill certain requirements of the Company’s compensation and benefit programs. The shares are repurchased from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions at the Company’s discretion, subject to market conditions, customary blackout periods and other factors.
Aggregate share repurchases in 2024 consisted of approximately 18.3 million common shares under the 2022 Program and 0.4 million common shares to fulfill the requirements of compensation and benefit plans, for a total purchase price of $1,739. Aggregate repurchases in 2023 consisted of approximately 14.7 million common shares under the 2022 Program and 0.3 million common shares to fulfill the requirements of compensation and benefit plans, for a total purchase price of $1,128. Share repurchases, net of proceeds from exercise of stock options, were $1,101 and $748 in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Cash and cash equivalents increased $130 during 2024 to $1,096 at December 31, 2024, compared to $966 at December 31, 2023. Cash and cash equivalents held by the Company’s foreign subsidiaries was $1,059 and $922, respectively, at December 31, 2024 and 2023.
The following represents the scheduled maturities of the Company’s contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024:
Total 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Thereafter
Long-term debt including current portion(1)
$ 7,005 $ 652 $ 1,035 $ 509 $ 612 $ 519 $ 3,678
Net cash interest payments on long-term debt(2)
2,077 232 174 160 134 119 1,258
Operating Leases 655 126 108 101 80 58 182
Purchase obligations(3)
568 202 140 92 39 30 65
U.S. tax reform payments 77 77 - - - - -
Total $ 10,382 $ 1,289 $ 1,457 $ 862 $ 865 $ 726 $ 5,183
(1)The Company classifies commercial paper as long-term debt when it has the intent and ability to refinance such obligations on a long-term basis. The amounts in this table exclude commercial paper.
(2)Includes the net interest payments on fixed and variable rate debt. Interest payments associated with floating rate instruments are based on management’s best estimate of projected interest rates for the remaining term of variable rate debt.
(3)The Company had outstanding contractual obligations with suppliers at the end of 2024 for the purchase of raw, packaging and other materials and services in the normal course of business. These purchase obligation amounts represent only those items which are based on agreements that are legally binding and that specify all significant terms including minimum quantity, price and term and do not represent total anticipated purchases.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Long-term liabilities associated with the Company’s postretirement plans are excluded from the table above due to the uncertainty of the timing of these cash disbursements. The amount and timing of cash funding related to these benefit plans will generally depend on the variability of the market value of the assets, changes in the benefit obligations, local regulatory requirements, various economic assumptions (the most significant of which are detailed in “Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates” below) and voluntary Company contributions. Based on current information, the Company is not required to make a mandatory contribution to its qualified U.S. pension plan in 2025. The Company does not expect to make any voluntary contributions to its U.S. postretirement plans in 2025. In addition, total benefit payments expected to be paid from the Company’s assets to participants in unfunded plans are estimated to be approximately $95 for the year ending December 31, 2025.
Additionally, liabilities for unrecognized income tax benefits are excluded from the table above as the Company is unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount or timing of a settlement of such liabilities. See Note 10, Income Taxes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.
As more fully described in Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company has commitments and contingencies with respect to lawsuits, environmental matters, taxes and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have off-balance sheet financing or unconsolidated special purpose entities.
Managing Foreign Currency, Interest Rate, Commodity Price and Credit Risk Exposure
The Company is exposed to market risk from foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity price fluctuations. Volatility relating to these exposures is managed on a global basis by utilizing a number of techniques, including working capital management, selling price increases, selective borrowings in local currencies and entering into selective derivative instrument transactions, issued with standard features, in accordance with the Company’s treasury and risk management policies. The Company’s treasury and risk management policies prohibit the use of derivatives for speculative purposes and leveraged derivatives for any purpose.
See Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 6, Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of derivatives and hedging policies and fair value measurements.
Foreign Exchange Risk
As the Company markets its products in over 200 countries and territories, it is exposed to currency fluctuations related to manufacturing and selling its products in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Company manages its foreign currency exposures through a combination of cost containment measures, sourcing strategies, selling price increases and the hedging of certain costs in an effort to minimize the impact on earnings of foreign currency rate movements. See “Results of Operations” above for a discussion of the foreign exchange impact on Net sales in each operating segment.
The assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at year-end exchange rates with resulting translation gains and losses accumulated in a separate component of shareholders’ equity. Income and expense items are translated into U.S. dollars at average rates of exchange prevailing during the year.
The Company primarily utilizes foreign currency contracts, including forward and swap contracts, option contracts, foreign and local currency deposits and local currency borrowings to hedge portions of its exposures relating to foreign currency purchases, assets and liabilities created in the normal course of business and the net investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. The duration of foreign currency contracts generally does not exceed 12 months and the contracts are valued using observable market rates.
Interest Rate Risk
The Company manages its mix of fixed and floating rate debt against its target with debt issuances and by entering into interest rate swaps in order to mitigate fluctuations in earnings and cash flows that may result from interest rate volatility. The Company utilizes forward-starting interest rate swaps to mitigate the risk of variability in interest rates for future debt issuances. The notional amount, interest payment and maturity date of the swaps generally match the principal, interest payment and maturity date of the related debt, and the swaps are valued using observable benchmark rates.
Based on year-end 2024 variable rate debt levels, a 1% increase in interest rates would have increased Interest expense by $3 in 2024.
Commodity Price Risk
The Company is exposed to price volatility related to raw materials used in production, such as resins, essential oils, tropical oils, pulp, tallow, corn, poultry and soybeans. The Company manages its raw material exposures through a combination of cost containment measures, ongoing productivity initiatives and the limited use of commodity hedging contracts. Futures contracts are used on a limited basis, primarily in the Hill’s Pet Nutrition segment, to manage volatility related to anticipated raw material inventory purchases of certain traded commodities.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Credit Risk
The Company is exposed to the risk of credit loss in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to financial instrument contracts; however, nonperformance is considered unlikely and any nonperformance is unlikely to be material as it is the Company’s policy to contract with diverse, credit-worthy counterparties based upon both strong credit ratings and other credit considerations.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Disclosure Rules
In November 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2024-04, “Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20): Induced Conversions of Convertible Debt Instruments.” This ASU clarifies the requirements for determining whether certain settlements of convertible debt instruments should be accounted for as induced conversions. This guidance is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2025 and is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, “Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses.” This ASU requires additional disclosures related to the disaggregation of income statement expense categories. This guidance is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. Other than the new disclosure requirements, this guidance will not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In March 2024, the SEC finalized rules intended to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures in registrants’ registration statements and Annual Reports on Form 10-K. The new rules would require climate-related disclosures, including as they relate to governance, strategy, risk management, targets and goals and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the rules would require certain climate-related disclosures as it relates to severe weather events and other natural conditions and carbon offsets and renewable energy credits. In April 2024, the SEC voluntarily stayed the rules due to pending judicial review. Other than the new disclosure requirements, this guidance will not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” This ASU improves the transparency of income tax disclosure by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation, and income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. This guidance is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Other than the new disclosure requirements, this guidance will not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-08, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Crypto Assets (Subtopic 350-60): Accounting for and Disclosure of Crypto Assets.” This ASU improves the accounting for certain crypto assets by requiring companies to measure them at fair value for each reporting period with changes in fair value recognized in net income. This guidance is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 and is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures.” This ASU modified the disclosure and presentation requirements primarily through enhanced disclosures of significant segment expenses and other segment items. The Company adopted this guidance in 2024. See Note 13, Segment Information to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-06, “Disclosure Improvements-Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative.” This ASU modified the disclosure and presentation requirements of a variety of codification topics by aligning them with the SEC’s regulations. This guidance is effective for the Company no later than June 30, 2027. Other than the new disclosure requirements, this guidance will not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-05, “Business Combinations-Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement.” This ASU requires a joint venture to initially measure all contributions received upon its formation at fair value. This guidance is applicable to joint ventures with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025 and is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-01, “Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements.” This ASU clarified the accounting for leasehold improvements for leases under common control. The guidance was effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2024 and did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
In September 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-04, “Liabilities-Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations.” This ASU requires a buyer that uses supplier finance programs to make annual disclosures about the programs’ key terms, the balance sheet presentation of related amounts, the confirmed amount outstanding at the end of the period and associated roll-forward information. The Company adopted the guidance beginning on January 1, 2023, and with respect to the roll-forward information disclosure, beginning on January 1, 2024. See Note 15, Supplier Finance Programs to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to use judgment and make estimates. The level of uncertainty in estimates and assumptions increases with the length of time until the underlying transactions are completed. Actual results could ultimately differ from those estimates. The accounting policies that are most critical in the preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements are those that are both important to the presentation of the Consolidated Financial Statements and require significant or complex judgments and estimates on the part of management. The Company’s critical accounting policies are reviewed periodically with the Audit Committee of the Board.
In certain instances, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America allow for the selection of alternative accounting methods. The Company’s significant policies that involve the selection of alternative methods are accounting for inventories and shipping and handling costs.
▪The Company accounts for inventories using both the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method (approximately 75% of inventories) and the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method (approximately 25% of inventories). There would have been no material impact on reported earnings for 2024 or 2023 had all inventories been accounted for under the FIFO method.
▪Shipping and handling costs (also referred to as logistics costs) may be reported as either a component of Cost of sales or Selling, general and administrative expenses. The Company accounts for such costs, primarily related to warehousing and outbound freight, as fulfillment costs and reports them in the Consolidated Statements of Income as a component of Selling, general and administrative expenses. Accordingly, the Company’s Gross profit margin is not comparable with the Gross profit margin of those companies that include shipping and handling charges in Cost of sales. If such costs had been included as a component of Cost of sales, the Company’s Gross profit margin would have been lower by 880 bps in 2024, 910 bps in 2023 and 1040 bps in 2022, with no impact on reported earnings.
The areas of accounting that involve significant or complex judgments and estimates are pensions and other retiree benefit cost assumptions, stock-based compensation, asset impairments, uncertain tax positions, tax valuation allowances and legal and other contingency reserves.
▪In accounting for pension and other postretirement benefit costs, the most significant actuarial assumptions are the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. The discount rate used to measure the benefit obligation for U.S. defined benefit plans was 5.73% and 5.40% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The discount rate used to measure the benefit obligation for other U.S. postretirement plans was 5.74% and 5.37% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Discount rates used for the U.S. and international defined benefit and other postretirement plans are based on a yield curve constructed from a portfolio
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
of high-quality bonds whose projected cash flows approximate the projected benefit payments of the plans. The assumed expected long-term rate of return on plan assets for U.S. plans was 6.50% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. In determining the expected long-term rate of return, the Company considers the nature of the plans’ investments and the historical rate of return.
Average annual rates of return for the U.S. plans for the most recent 1-year, 5-year, 10-year, 15-year and 25-year periods were 5%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 5%, respectively. In addition, the current assumed rate of return for the U.S. plans is based upon the nature of the plans’ investments with a target asset allocation of approximately 60% in fixed income securities, 26% in equity securities and 14% in other investments. A 1% change in the assumed rate of return on plan assets of the U.S. pension plans would impact future Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company by approximately $11. A 1% change in the discount rate for the U.S. pension plans and the other U.S. retiree benefit plan would impact future Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company by approximately $1 and $2, respectively. A third assumption is the long-term rate of compensation increase for the pension plans, a change in which would partially offset the impact of a change in either the discount rate or the expected long-term rate of return. This rate was 3.50% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Refer to Note 9, Retirement Plans and Other Retiree Benefits to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the Company’s pension and other postretirement plans.
▪The assumption requiring the most judgment in accounting for other postretirement benefits (other than the discount rate noted above) is the medical cost trend rate. The Company reviews external data and its own historical trends for health care costs to determine the medical cost trend rate. The assumed rate of increase for the U.S. postretirement benefit plans is 7.00% for 2025, declining to 5.00% by 2030 and remaining at 4.50% for the years thereafter. A 1% change in the assumed long-term medical cost trend rate would impact future Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company by $2.
▪The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, such as stock options and restricted stock units (both performance-based and time-vested), based on the fair value of those awards at the date of grant. The Company uses the Black-Scholes-Merton (“Black-Scholes”) option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock option awards. The weighted-average estimated fair value of each stock option award granted in the year ended December 31, 2024 was $22.65. The Black-Scholes model uses various assumptions to estimate the fair value of stock option awards. These assumptions include the expected term of stock option awards, expected volatility rate, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yield. While these assumptions do not require significant judgment, as the significant inputs are determined from historical experience or independent third-party sources, changes in these inputs could result in significant changes in the fair value of stock option awards. A one-year change in expected term would result in a change in fair value of approximately 7%. A 1% change in volatility would change fair value by approximately 4%. The Company uses a Monte-Carlo simulation to determine the fair value of performance-based restricted stock units at the date of grant. The Monte-Carlo simulation model uses substantially the same inputs as the Black-Scholes model.
▪Goodwill and indefinite-life intangible assets, such as the Company’s global brands, are subject to impairment tests at least annually or when events or changes in circumstances indicate an asset may be impaired. In assessing impairment, the Company performs either a quantitative or a qualitative analysis.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Determining the fair value of the Company’s reporting units for goodwill and the fair value of its intangible assets requires significant estimates and judgments by management. When a quantitative analysis is performed, the Company generally uses the income approach, which requires several estimates, including future cash flows consistent with management’s strategic plans, sales growth rates and the selection of royalty rates and discount rates. Estimating sales growth rates requires significant judgment by management in areas such as future economic conditions, category growth rates, product pricing, consumer tastes and preferences and future expansion expectations. In selecting an appropriate royalty rate, the Company considers the long-term profitability of the brand and recent market transactions for similar brands and products. In determining an appropriate discount rate, the Company considers the current interest rate environment and its estimated cost of capital. Other qualitative factors the Company considers, in addition to those quantitative measures discussed above, include assessments of general macroeconomic conditions, industry-specific considerations and historical financial performance. The Company generally engages a third-party valuation firm to assist it in determining the fair value of intangible assets acquired in business combinations.
In determining the fair value of the Company’s reporting units, fair value is also determined using the market approach, which is generally derived from metrics of comparable publicly traded companies. As multiple valuation methodologies are used, the Company also performs a qualitative analysis comparing the fair value of a reporting unit under each method to assess its reasonableness and ensure consistency of results.
Determining the expected life of a brand requires management judgment and is based on an evaluation of several factors including market share, brand history, future expansion expectations, the level of in-market support anticipated by management, legal or regulatory restrictions and the economic environment in the countries in which the brand is sold.
As of the date of the annual goodwill impairment test, the estimated fair value of the Company’s reporting units substantially exceeds their carrying value.
As of the date of the annual impairment test of indefinite-lived intangible assets, the fair value of one of the Company’s indefinite-lived trademark intangible assets exceeded its carrying value by less than 20%. The carrying value of this trademark is $293 as of December 31, 2024.
Given the inherent uncertainties of estimating the future cash flows, the impact of interest rates and inflation on macroeconomic conditions, actual results may differ from management’s current estimates, which could potentially result in impairment charges in future periods.
▪The recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions involves consideration of the amounts and probabilities of various outcomes that could be realized upon ultimate resolution.
▪Tax valuation allowances are established to reduce deferred tax assets, such as tax loss carryforwards, to net realizable value. Factors considered in estimating net realizable value include historical results by tax jurisdiction, carryforward periods, income tax strategies and forecasted taxable income.
▪Legal and other contingency reserves are based on management’s assessment of the risk of potential loss, which includes consultation with outside legal counsel and other advisors. Such assessments are reviewed each period and revised based on current facts and circumstances, if necessary. While it is possible that the Company’s cash flows and results of operations in a particular quarter or year could be materially affected by the impact of such contingencies, based on current knowledge it is the opinion of management that these matters will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, or its ongoing results of operations or cash flows. Refer to Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the Company’s contingencies.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
The Company generates revenue through the sale of well-known consumer products to trade customers under established trading terms. While the recognition of revenue and receivables requires the use of estimates, there is a short time frame (typically less than 60 days) between the shipment of product and cash receipt, thereby reducing the level of uncertainty in these estimates. Refer to Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further description of the Company’s significant accounting policies.
(Dollars in Millions Except Per Share Amounts)
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the 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 additional tariffs, the impact of geopolitical conflicts and tensions, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan, cost-reduction plans, 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 those 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. Actual events or results may differ materially because of factors that affect international businesses and global economic conditions, as well as matters specific to the Company and the markets it serves, including the uncertain macroeconomic and political environment in different countries, including as a result of inflation and higher interest rates, and its effect on consumer confidence and spending, foreign currency rate fluctuations, exchange controls, import restrictions, tariffs, sanctions, price or profit controls, labor relations, changes in foreign or domestic laws or regulations or their interpretation, political and fiscal developments, including changes in trade, tax and immigration policies, increased competition and evolving competitive practices, the ability to operate and respond effectively during a pandemic, epidemic or widespread public health concern, the ability to manage disruptions in our global supply chain and/or key office facilities, the ability to manage the availability and cost of raw and packaging materials and logistics costs, the ability to maintain or increase selling prices as needed, changes in the policies of retail trade customers, the emergence of alternative retail channels, the growth of eCommerce and the rapidly changing retail landscape, the ability to develop innovative new products and successfully adopt new technologies (such as artificial intelligence), the ability to continue lowering costs and operate in an agile manner, the ability to maintain the security of our information and operational technology systems from a cybersecurity incident or data breach, the ability to address the effects of climate change and achieve our sustainability and social impact goals, the ability to complete acquisitions and divestitures as planned, the ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, the ability to attract and retain key employees, the uncertainty of the outcome of legal proceedings, whether or not the Company believes they have merit, and the ability to address uncertain or unfavorable global economic conditions, including inflation, disruptions in the credit markets and tax matters. For information about these and other factors that could impact the Company’s business and cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, refer to Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors.”

---

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
See “Managing Foreign Currency, Interest Rate, Commodity Price and Credit Risk Exposure” in Part II, Item 7.

---

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
See “Index to Financial Statements.”

---

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.

---

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company’s management, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2024 (the “Evaluation”). Based upon the Evaluation, the Company’s Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) are effective.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Management, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based upon the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and concluded that it was effective as of December 31, 2024.
The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, has audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, and has expressed an unqualified opinion in their report, which appears under “Index to Financial Statements - Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Company is in the process of upgrading its enterprise IT system to SAP S/4 HANA. This change has not had and is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
Except as noted above, there were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

---

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
(b) Trading Plans
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no director or officer of the Company adopted, modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.

---

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
See “Information about our Executive Officers” in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Additional information required by this Item 10 will be included under the headings “Governance - the Board of Directors,” “Governance - Board Structure and Responsibilities - Committees of the Board of Directors - Audit Committee” and “Executive Compensation - Compensation Discussion and Analysis - Compensation Governance Features - Insider Trading Policy and Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging of Company Stock” in the Company’s Proxy Statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “2025 Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by reference.
Information on beneficial ownership reporting compliance will be included under the heading “Stock Ownership - Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports,” if applicable, in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
The Company’s Code of Conduct promotes the highest ethical standards in all of the Company’s business dealings. The Code of Conduct satisfies the SEC’s requirements for a Code of Ethics for senior financial officers and applies to all Company employees, including the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Executive Vice President, Controller, and the Company’s directors. The Code of Conduct is available on the Company’s website at www.colgatepalmolive.com. Any amendment to the Code of Conduct will promptly be posted on the Company’s website. It is the Company’s policy not to grant waivers of the Code of Conduct. In the extremely unlikely event that the Company grants an executive officer a waiver from a provision of the Code of Conduct, the Company will promptly disclose such information by posting it on its website or by using other appropriate means in accordance with SEC rules.

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Information required by this Item 11 will be included under the headings “Executive Compensation,” “Governance - Compensation of Directors” and “Governance - Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
(a)Information regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management will be included under the heading “Stock Ownership” in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
(b)The Registrant does not know of any arrangements that may at a subsequent date result in a change in control of the Registrant.
(c)Equity compensation plan information as of December 31, 2024:
(a) (b) (c)
Plan Category Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights
(in thousands) Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))
(in thousands)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
15,798 (1)
$ 79.00 (2)
26,572 (3)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable
Total
15,798
$ 79.00
26,572
(1)Consists of 12,774 options outstanding, 1,987 restricted stock units awarded but not yet vested and 1,037 performance-based restricted stock units outstanding under the Company’s 2019 Incentive Compensation Plan, as more fully described in Note 7, Capital Stock and Stock-Based Compensation Plans to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
(2)Includes the weighted-average exercise price of stock options outstanding of $78, restricted stock units of $88 and performance-based restricted stock units of $74.
(3)Amount includes all of the securities available for future issuances in the form of options, restricted stock units and performance-based awards under the Company’s 2019 Incentive Compensation Plan.

---

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Information required by this Item 13 will be included under the headings “Governance - Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and “Governance - Director Independence” in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

---

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Information required by this Item 14 will be included under the heading “Proposal 2 - Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
PART IV

---

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules
See “Index to Financial Statements.”
(b)Exhibits:
Exhibit No. Description
3-A Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 3-A to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, File No. 1-644.)
3-B Colgate-Palmolive Company By-laws, Amended and Restated as of January 12, 2023. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 3.01 to its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 12, 2023, File No. 1-644.)
4 a) Description of Securities of the Registrant**
b) Indenture, dated as of November 15, 1992, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly known as The Bank of New York) as Trustee. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 4.1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-3 and Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on June 26, 1992, Registration No. 33-48840.)(1)
c) Colgate-Palmolive Company Employee Stock Ownership Trust Agreement dated as of June 1, 1989, as amended. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 4-B (b) to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2000, File No. 1-644.)
10-A a) Colgate-Palmolive 2019 Incentive Compensation Plan. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Annex C to its 2019 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, File No. 1-644.)*
b) Form of Nonqualified Option Award Agreement used in connection with grants under the Colgate-Palmolive Company 2019 Incentive Compensation Plan. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-B to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, File No. 1-644.)*
c) Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement used in connection with grants under the Colgate-Palmolive Company 2019 Incentive Compensation Plan. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-C to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, File No. 1-644.)*
d) Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement for the 2022-2024 Performance Cycle (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-B to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, File No. 1-644.)*
e) Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement for the 2023-2025 Performance Cycle (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-A to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, File No. 1-644.)*
f) Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement for the 2024-2026 Performance Cycle (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-A to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, File No. 1-644)*
10-B a) Colgate-Palmolive Company Executive Incentive Compensation Plan Trust, as amended. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-B (b) to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1987, File No. 1-644.)*
b) Amendment, dated as of October 29, 2007, to the Colgate-Palmolive Company Executive Incentive Compensation Plan Trust. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-A (b) to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, File No. 1-644.)*
10-C Colgate-Palmolive Company Supplemental Salaried Employees’ Retirement Plan, amended and restated, effective as of January 1, 2021. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-D to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, File No. 1-644.)*
10-D a) Colgate-Palmolive Company Executive Severance Plan, as amended and restated through September 13, 2023. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-A to its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 15, 2023, File No. 1-644.)*
b) Colgate-Palmolive Company Executive Severance Plan Trust. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-E (b) to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1987, File No. 1-644.)*
c) Colgate-Palmolive Company Executive Officer Cash Severance Policy. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10.1 to its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 11, 2022, File No 1-644.)*
10-E Colgate-Palmolive Company Pension Plan for Outside Directors, as amended and restated. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-D to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, File No. 1-644.)*
10-F a) Colgate-Palmolive Company Restated and Amended Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors, as amended. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-H to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997, File No. 1-644.)*
b) Amendment, effective as of January 1, 2005, to the Colgate-Palmolive Company Restated and Amended Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-F to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, File No. 1-644.)*
10-G Colgate-Palmolive Company Deferred Compensation Plan, amended and restated, effective as of October 28, 2021. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-B to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, File No. 1-644.)*
10-H Amended and Restated Five Year Credit Agreement, dated as of November 4, 2022, by and among Colgate-Palmolive Company, as Borrower, Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent and Arranger, and the Lenders party thereto. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-I to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, File No. 1-644.)
10-I Colgate-Palmolive Company Supplemental Savings and Investment Plan, amended and restated, effective as of January 1, 2022. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-J to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, File No. 1-644.)*
10-J Form of Indemnification Agreement between Colgate-Palmolive Company and its directors, executive officers and certain key employees. (Registrant hereby incorporates by reference Exhibit 10-K to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, File No. 1-644.)
19 Colgate-Palmolive Company Insider Trading Policy.**
21 Subsidiaries of the Registrant.**
23 Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.**
24 Powers of Attorney.**
31-A Certificate of the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Colgate-Palmolive Company pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.**
31-B Certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of Colgate-Palmolive Company pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.**
32 Certificate of the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of Colgate-Palmolive Company pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. § 1350.***
97 Colgate-Palmolive Company Dodd-Frank Clawback Policy for the Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.**
101 The following materials from Colgate-Palmolive Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, formatted in Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language (Inline XBRL): (i) the Consolidated Statements of Income, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iii) the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.**
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).**
* Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
** Filed herewith.
*** Furnished herewith.
(1) Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish the Commission, upon request, with a copy of any instrument with respect to long-term debt where the total amount of securities authorized thereunder does not exceed 10% of the total assets of the Registrant and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The exhibits indicated above that are not included with the Form 10-K are available upon request and payment of a reasonable fee approximating the registrant’s cost of providing and mailing the exhibits. Inquiries should be directed to:
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Office of the Secretary (10-K Exhibits)
300 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022-7499