Colgate-Palmolive
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
U.S. unit volume grew approximately 7% in the third quarter, the company announced Oct. 15. North American unit volume and sales both rose 6%, driven by Colgate Total and Colgate Tarter Control and Whitening toothpaste, among others. Other strong performers included Speed Stick Ultimate Antiperspirant, Lady Speed Stick Antiperspirant Gel and Softsoap Hand Gel. Net sales dropped 1.4% to $2.27 bil., while net earnings rose 13.7% to $214.9 mil. Market shares increased in nine of the 12 categories Colgate competes in. While a number of consumer products companies experienced negative figures in the third quarter, Colgate attributes its increases to domestic and overseas market share gains, combined with "sharp increases" in the gross margin