Compare Stocks › CL vs SBUX

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) vs Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

As of 2026-06-19, CL is overvalued at $89, with a DCF intrinsic value of $45 and a margin of safety of -98%. SBUX is overvalued at $101, with an intrinsic value of $82 and a margin of safety of -23%. Of the two, SBUX has the wider margin of safety.

Colgate-Palmolive Company

$89.48

SBUX

Starbucks Corporation

$100.65

Rewards

★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.

SBUX

★Starbucks Corporation has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
★Starbucks Corporation scores 71/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

⚠High leverage (13.49x net debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
⚠10 insider sales with no purchases over the past 12 months — a persistent pattern of insider selling.

SBUX

⚠Gross margin of 21.9% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
⚠Trailing P/E of 76.8x is 119% above the historical average of 35.1x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
⚠Net debt/EBITDA of 4.2x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.

Key Valuation Metrics

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SBUX

Valuation

$3.32B

Free Cash Flow

$-1.30B

4.64%

FCF Yield

-1.14%

34.68

Trailing P/E

76.83

22.13

Forward P/E

33.43

Quality & Moat

40.64%

ROIC

10.48%

363.58%

ROE

N/A

60.06%

Gross Margin

21.90%

1.62

PEG Ratio

1.35

Balance Sheet Safety

13.49

Net Debt / Equity

N/A

Interest Coverage

N/A

1.33

Net Debt / EBITDA

4.21

2.30%

Dividend Yield

2.44%

CL: 7Ties: 1SBUX: 2

CLSBUX

Historical Fundamentals

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Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

SBUX

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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$-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

SBUX

$-9.28

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Market Cap Declined

Σ Retained

$1.95B

Δ Market Cap

$-18.13B

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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98.0% Overvalued

Price is 98.0% above estimated fair value

Current Price: $89.48

Strongly undervalued

Fairly valued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $45.20

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

SBUX

23.0% Overvalued

Price is 23.0% above estimated fair value

Current Price: $100.65

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $81.80

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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What growth rate is the market pricing in at $89?

+15.5%

Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth

Standard FCF implies +9.9%

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

Standard FCF implies a demanding +9.9%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

SBUX

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

Economic Moat Score

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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.

SBUX

71/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by roic consistency. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

Forensic Accounting

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-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.

SBUX

-2.77

Unlikely Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Ownership Breakdown

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Insiders 0.1%Institutions 88.1%Retail & Other 11.8%

No. of Institutional Holders2,617

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.

SBUX

Insiders 0.1%Institutions 86.8%Retail & Other 13.1%

No. of Institutional Holders2,950

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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Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

No open market insider purchases found.

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

SBUX

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

Total value (12M): $994,500

KNUDSTORP JORGEN VIG

Director

$994,500

@ $85.00 · 2025-11-10

KNUDSTORP JORGEN VIG

Director

$34,770

@ $91.50 · 2024-09-06

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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Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $26.11M

MALCOLM GREGORY

Officer

$203,412

@ $88.44 · 2026-05-15

MASSEY SALLY

Officer

$751,633

@ $87.41 · 2026-05-07

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

WALLACE NOEL R

Chief Executive Officer

$4.28M

@ $93.91 · 2026-02-04

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

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

KOOYMAN JOHN W

Officer

$2.55M

@ $102.88 · 2024-08-06

MASSEY SALLY

Officer

$1.64M

@ $103.28 · 2024-08-06

MALCOLM GREGORY

Officer

$1.09M

@ $103.10 · 2024-08-06

TSOURAPAS PANAGIOTIS

Officer

$3.98M

@ $99.47 · 2024-07-31

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

SBUX

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $1.32M

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$58,800

@ $100.00 · 2026-06-11

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$154,796

@ $94.33 · 2026-06-05

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$233,621

@ $104.81 · 2026-05-05

KELLY SARA

Officer

$210,000

@ $105.00 · 2026-04-29

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$58,800

@ $100.00 · 2026-04-17

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$147,690

@ $90.00 · 2026-04-06

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$58,800

@ $100.00 · 2026-03-09

KELLY SARA

Officer

$242,800

@ $97.12 · 2026-03-05

BREWER BRADY

Officer

$159,374

@ $97.12 · 2026-03-05

KELLY SARA

Officer

$1.94M

@ $101.37 · 2024-11-29

RUGGERI RACHEL

Chief Financial Officer

$148,414

@ $99.54 · 2024-11-21

RUGGERI RACHEL

Chief Financial Officer

$143,850

@ $99.07 · 2024-11-15

CONWAY MICHAEL AARON

Officer

$305,598

@ $94.03 · 2024-08-15

RUGGERI RACHEL

Chief Executive Officer

$299,916

@ $91.16 · 2024-08-13

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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😐Neutral(55/100)

"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.

SBUX

😐Neutral(59/100)

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

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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⚪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 (55)

SBUX

⚪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 (59)

View CL Full Analysis View SBUX Full Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions: CL vs SBUX

Is Colgate-Palmolive Company or Starbucks Corporation more undervalued in 2026?▼

Based on our discounted cash flow model, SBUX trades at a -23.0% margin of safety (intrinsic value $82 vs. price $101), compared to CL's -98.0% margin of safety (intrinsic $45 vs. $89).

Which stock has a wider economic moat, Colgate-Palmolive Company or Starbucks Corporation?▼

CL scores 98/100 (Wide moat), while SBUX scores 71/100 (Wide moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.

Is Starbucks Corporation in financial distress?▼

SBUX's Altman Z-Score of 2.5 places it in the Grey zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. CL scores 6.7 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.

Which company has better free cash flow, Colgate-Palmolive Company or Starbucks Corporation?▼

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) generates a 4.6% free cash flow yield, compared to Starbucks Corporation's -1.1%. A higher FCF yield means the business converts more of its market value into cash that can be returned to shareholders or reinvested.

Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Colgate-Palmolive Company or Starbucks Corporation?▼

CL earns 40.6% ROIC versus SBUX's 10.5%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.

Which dividend is safer, Colgate-Palmolive Company's or Starbucks Corporation's?▼

CL's dividend earns a safety score of 64/100 (Safe), compared to SBUX's 24/100 (Unsafe). CL has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.