Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) is a global consumer staples leader best known for its dominant oral care brands, alongside a broad portfolio spanning personal care, home care, and pet nutrition. Shares recently traded around $78 per share, giving Colgate a market capitalization of roughly $63 billion.
Colgate is widely viewed as a steady, cash-generating business supported by durable brands and global distribution. Looking at who owns Colgate today and how insiders have been trading helps add context around how large investors and company leadership may be positioning themselves at current price levels.
Who Are Colgate’s Top Shareholders?
Colgate’s shareholder base is led by large institutional investors, particularly passive managers that tend to hold through market cycles. Active managers have adjusted positions in both directions, reflecting differing views on valuation and near-term performance.
- The Vanguard Group: 82.6M shares (10.24%), $6.47B value. Added 156k shares (+0.19%).
- State Street Investment Management: 48.7M shares (6.04%), $3.81B value. Added 102k shares (+0.21%).
- BlackRock Institutional Trust Company: 43.4M shares (5.39%), $3.40B value. Added 1.39M shares (+3.31%).
- T. Rowe Price Associates: 31.1M shares (3.86%), $2.44B value. Cut 4.22M shares (-11.95%).
- Geode Capital Management: 21.8M shares (2.70%), $1.71B value. Added 857k shares (+4.09%).
- GQG Partners: 11.4M shares (1.41%), $891M value. Cut 2.86M shares (-20.11%).
- Norges Bank Investment Management: 10.6M shares (1.31%), $828M value. Added 529k shares (+5.27%).
- Wellington Management: 10.5M shares (1.30%), $824M value. Cut 1.58M shares (-13.10%).
- Morgan Stanley Smith Barney: 10.0M shares (1.24%), $782M value. Cut 230k shares (-2.25%).
- Diamond Hill Capital Management: 8.1M shares (1.00%), $633M value. Added 2.57M shares (+46.74%).
The ownership base remains anchored by long-term institutions, while mixed moves among active managers suggest investors are balancing Colgate’s defensive qualities against valuation considerations at current price levels, for investors.
Hedge Fund Highlights
Balyasny Asset Management, founded by Dmitry Balyasny, significantly increased its exposure to Colgate last quarter and now holds a position valued in the nine-figure range. The move suggests the firm may be viewing Colgate as an attractive defensive allocation at current prices.
Citadel Advisors, led by Ken Griffin, also increased its Colgate position. While the stock represents a small portion of Citadel’s overall portfolio, the increase points to growing interest from large multi-strategy firms in Colgate’s stability and cash flow profile.
Two Sigma Advisers, co-founded by John Overdeck and David Siegel, added to its Colgate holdings as well. Given the firm’s quantitative approach, the increase could indicate that Colgate screens favorably on factors such as earnings consistency, margins, or downside protection.
Squarepoint Ops, founded by Lionel Martellini, raised its Colgate position by a large percentage from a smaller base, which may suggest the firm is gradually leaning into Colgate as a lower-volatility position within a more actively traded portfolio, for investors.
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Colgate’s Recent Insider Trades
Insider trading activity can offer additional context, though it should be viewed alongside broader ownership trends. Recent filings show mostly small transactions that lean toward selling.
- Jennifer M. Daniels (Officer): Sold 213 shares at ~$78 on 12/2/25.
- Noel R. Wallace (Officer and Director): Sold 1,307 shares at ~$78 on 12/2/25.
- Panagiotis Tsourapas (Officer): Sold 221 shares at ~$78 on 12/2/25.
- Stanley J. Sutula III (Officer): Sold 385 shares at ~$78 on 12/2/25.
- Gregory Malcolm (Officer): Sold 41 shares at ~$78 on 12/2/25.
- John Hazlin (Officer): Sold 156 shares at ~$78 on 12/2/25.
- Sally Massey (Officer): Sold 1,237 shares at ~$81 on 11/20/25.
- Other officers and directors: Additional sales between ~$82 and ~$83 in September, generally ranging from 100 to 1,300 shares per transaction.
These transactions appear small relative to overall insider ownership and shares outstanding. It appears insiders may be modestly reducing exposure at current price levels, though there is no clear signal of aggressive selling based on the data alone, for investors.
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What the Ownership & Insider Trade Data Tell Us
Colgate’s ownership profile reflects its position as a defensive, institutionally favored consumer staples stock. Passive managers continue to provide a stable base, while hedge funds and active managers show mixed positioning.
Insider activity leans slightly toward selling, but the scale of transactions appears limited. Taken together, the data suggest a measured tone rather than a strong directional signal, with investors continuing to weigh valuation against Colgate’s long-term earnings stability and cash flow durability.
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