Compare StocksCL vs MCD

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) vs McDonald's Corporation (MCD)

CL
Colgate-Palmolive Company
$85.50
VS
MCD
McDonald's Corporation
$309.58

Rewards

CL
  • Colgate-Palmolive Company has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Gross margin of 60.1% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Colgate-Palmolive Company scores 98/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
MCD
  • McDonald's Corporation has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • McDonald's Corporation scores 84/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Dividend yield of 2.40% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.

Risks

CL
  • High leverage (23.44x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
  • 7 insider sales totaling $25.1M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
MCD
  • FCF yield of 2.8% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • PEG ratio of 3.16 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • 7 insider sales totaling $23.7M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

Key Valuation Metrics

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CL
MCD
Valuation
$3.08B
Free Cash Flow
$6.30B
4.49%
FCF Yield
2.85%
32.51
Trailing P/E
25.91
20.61
Forward P/E
21.62
Quality & Moat
36.80%
ROIC
17.46%
584.11%
ROE
N/A
60.11%
Gross Margin
57.41%
N/A
PEG Ratio
3.16
Balance Sheet Safety
23.44
Debt / Equity
N/A
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
1.47
Net Debt / EBITDA
3.70
2.48%
Dividend Yield
2.40%
CL: 3Ties: 4MCD: 2
CLMCD

Historical Fundamentals

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CL

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

MCD

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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CL
$-1.07
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$1.96B
Δ Market Cap
$-2.10B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
MCD
$0.82
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Mediocre Allocator
Σ Retained
$9.30B
Δ Market Cap
+$7.67B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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CL
88.2% Overvalued
Price is 88.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $85.50
Fair Value: $45.43
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
MCD
152.0% Overvalued
Price is 152.0% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $309.58
Fair Value: $122.86
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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CL

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $86?

+15.5%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +10.5%

The market implies +15.5% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +10.5%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

MCD

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $310?

+18.3%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate

Market pricing in significantly higher growth than history — aggressive.

Economic Moat Score

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CL
98/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
MCD
84/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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CL
-3.00
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
MCD
-2.52
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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CL
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 86.3%Retail & Other 13.5%
No. of Institutional Holders2,540
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
MCD
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 75.6%Retail & Other 24.1%
No. of Institutional Holders4,410
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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CL
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
MCD
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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CL
7
Sells (3M)
9
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $25.35M
TSOURAPAS PANAGIOTIS
Officer
$4.78M
@ $95.57 · 2026-02-12
HAZLIN JOHN
Officer
$1.98M
@ $94.25 · 2026-02-10
MALCOLM GREGORY
Officer
$1.21M
@ $94.91 · 2026-02-06
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$1.51M
@ $95.03 · 2026-02-05
DANIELS JENNIFER M.
Officer
$2.08M
@ $94.34 · 2026-02-04
SUTULA STANLEY J III
Chief Financial Officer
$9.22M
@ $94.27 · 2026-02-04
WALLACE NOEL R
Chief Executive Officer
$4.28M
@ $93.91 · 2026-02-04
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$100,061
@ $80.89 · 2025-11-21
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$200,183
@ $88.97 · 2025-05-15
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$736,152
@ $92.02 · 2025-02-25
MALCOLM GREGORY
Officer
$101,121
@ $95.94 · 2024-11-26
WALLACE NOEL R
Chief Executive Officer
$3.17M
@ $95.00 · 2024-11-22
SUTULA STANLEY J III
Chief Financial Officer
$4.27M
@ $94.11 · 2024-11-05
SUTULA STANLEY J III
Chief Financial Officer
$4.68M
@ $93.53 · 2024-11-01
HUND-MEJEAN MARTINA
Director
$240,228
@ $103.86 · 2024-08-23
DANIELS JENNIFER M.
Officer
$2.26M
@ $102.76 · 2024-08-08
TSOURAPAS PANAGIOTIS
Officer
$1.52M
@ $102.94 · 2024-08-08
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$1.64M
@ $103.28 · 2024-08-06
MALCOLM GREGORY
Officer
$1.09M
@ $103.10 · 2024-08-06
KOOYMAN JOHN W
Officer
$2.55M
@ $102.88 · 2024-08-06
TSOURAPAS PANAGIOTIS
Officer
$3.98M
@ $99.47 · 2024-07-31
DANIELS JENNIFER M.
Officer
$2.09M
@ $94.15 · 2024-05-14
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$1.15M
@ $94.06 · 2024-05-09
TSOURAPAS PANAGIOTIS
Officer
$1.13M
@ $94.15 · 2024-05-09
KOOYMAN JOHN W
Officer
$326,882
@ $93.47 · 2024-05-07
BILBREY JOHN P.
Director
$579,696
@ $91.59 · 2024-05-01
MASSEY SALLY
Officer
$562,091
@ $91.92 · 2024-05-01
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
MCD
7
Sells (3M)
25
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $43.80M
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$862,221
@ $328.34 · 2026-03-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$110,033
@ $330.43 · 2026-02-23
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$2.07M
@ $333.32 · 2026-02-23
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$17.47M
@ $332.44 · 2026-02-13
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$1.55M
@ $331.00 · 2026-02-12
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$854,106
@ $325.25 · 2026-02-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$805,079
@ $306.58 · 2026-01-12
RALLS-MORRISON DESIREE ANN
Officer
$795,520
@ $320.00 · 2025-12-16
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$207,270
@ $315.00 · 2025-12-12
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$2.01M
@ $305.50 · 2025-12-01
BORDEN IAN FREDERICK
Chief Financial Officer
$5.31M
@ $310.00 · 2025-11-21
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$977,095
@ $305.82 · 2025-11-14
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$3.95M
@ $300.42 · 2025-11-05
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$315,000
@ $315.00 · 2025-09-02
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$1.49M
@ $315.00 · 2025-08-20
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$310,000
@ $310.00 · 2025-08-19
RALLS-MORRISON DESIREE ANN
Officer
$770,970
@ $310.00 · 2025-08-06
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$296,216
@ $303.50 · 2025-08-01
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$281,221
@ $299.49 · 2025-07-23
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$300,000
@ $300.00 · 2025-07-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$270,920
@ $288.52 · 2025-06-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
President
$295,851
@ $315.07 · 2025-05-23
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$1.92M
@ $319.66 · 2025-05-20
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$299,072
@ $318.50 · 2025-04-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$287,616
@ $306.30 · 2025-03-24
BOYD TIFFANIE L
Officer
$309,270
@ $309.27 · 2025-02-27
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$286,395
@ $305.00 · 2025-02-24
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$3.23M
@ $308.71 · 2025-02-24
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$334,871
@ $304.71 · 2025-02-21
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$456,495
@ $304.33 · 2025-02-21
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$962,432
@ $300.76 · 2025-02-19
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$2.83M
@ $307.41 · 2025-02-13
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$3.26M
@ $310.05 · 2025-02-11
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$84,225
@ $280.75 · 2025-01-23
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$436,134
@ $290.95 · 2025-01-02
RALLS-MORRISON DESIREE ANN
Officer
$1.98M
@ $289.89 · 2024-12-31
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$319,919
@ $291.10 · 2024-12-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$321,458
@ $292.50 · 2024-11-25
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$441,470
@ $294.51 · 2024-11-01
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$321,326
@ $292.38 · 2024-10-23
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$727,260
@ $310.00 · 2024-10-14
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$2.83M
@ $305.00 · 2024-09-27
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$5.51M
@ $300.02 · 2024-09-24
BORDEN IAN FREDERICK
Chief Financial Officer
$1.78M
@ $300.04 · 2024-09-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$328,128
@ $298.57 · 2024-09-23
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$1.18M
@ $300.00 · 2024-09-16
BORDEN IAN FREDERICK
Chief Financial Officer
$397,500
@ $300.00 · 2024-09-16
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$428,967
@ $286.36 · 2024-09-03
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$316,993
@ $288.70 · 2024-08-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$285,740
@ $260.00 · 2024-07-23
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$371,893
@ $248.26 · 2024-07-03
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$285,480
@ $260.00 · 2024-06-21
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$291,378
@ $265.13 · 2024-05-23
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$220,016
@ $275.02 · 2024-05-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$303,751
@ $276.64 · 2024-04-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$312,534
@ $284.38 · 2024-03-22
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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CL
FearGreed
😐Neutral(44/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
MCD
FearGreed
😐Neutral(48/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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CL
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (44)
MCD
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (48)
View CL Full AnalysisView MCD Full Analysis
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) vs McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io