CL vs. APD

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

CL (Colgate-Palmolive Company) and APD (Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.) are both stocks. CL operates in Household & Personal Products (Consumer Defensive), while APD operates in Chemicals (Basic Materials). Over the past 10 years, CL returned 4.14%/yr vs 9.67%/yr for APD. At a 0.33 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

CL vs. APD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CL achieves a 8.73% return, which is significantly lower than APD's 15.83% return. Over the past 10 years, CL has underperformed APD with an annualized return of 4.14%, while APD has yielded a comparatively higher 9.67% annualized return.

CL

• 1D: -3.85%
• 1M: -0.59%
• YTD: 8.73%
• 6M: 9.87%
• 1Y: -3.98%
• 3Y*: 6.21%
• 5Y*: 2.62%
• 10Y*: 4.14%

APD

• 1D: 1.07%
• 1M: -5.39%
• YTD: 15.83%
• 6M: 9.90%
• 1Y: 2.31%
• 3Y*: 2.76%
• 5Y*: 0.97%
• 10Y*: 9.67%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CL vs. APD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CL Colgate-Palmolive Company	8.73%	-10.98%	16.57%	3.78%	-5.44%	2.08%	27.17%	18.60%	-19.19%	17.88%
APD Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.	15.83%	-12.66%	8.09%	-8.95%	3.91%	13.75%	18.82%	50.02%	0.26%	17.04%

Correlation

The correlation between CL and APD is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.14
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.22
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.34
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 5, 1987	0.33

The correlation between CL and APD shifts across timeframes, from 0.14 (1 year) to 0.34 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap CL : $68.33B APD : $62.92B
EPS CL : $2.58 APD : $9.45
PE Ratio CL : 32.90 APD : 29.86
PEG Ratio CL : 8.50 APD : 1.39
PS Ratio CL : 3.30 APD : 5.05
PB Ratio CL : 471.23 APD : 4.02
Total Revenue (TTM) CL : $20.80B APD : $12.46B
Gross Profit (TTM) CL : $12.49B APD : $3.99B
EBITDA (TTM) CL : $3.92B APD : $4.36B

Return for Risk

CL vs. APD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CL

CL Risk / Return Rank: 31
CL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
CL Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
CL Omega Ratio Rank: 27
CL Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
CL Martin Ratio Rank: 34

APD

APD Risk / Return Rank: 40
APD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
APD Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
APD Omega Ratio Rank: 37
APD Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
APD Martin Ratio Rank: 43

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CL vs. APD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CL	APD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.19	0.09	-0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.13	0.32	-0.45
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	1.04	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.21	0.10	-0.32
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.36	0.26	-0.62
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CL vs. APD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CL Sharpe Ratio is -0.19, which is lower than the APD Sharpe Ratio of 0.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CL and APD, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CL	APD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.19	0.09	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14	0.04	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.21	0.37	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.42	+0.01

Drawdowns

CL vs. APD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CL drawdown since its inception was -58.91%, roughly equal to the maximum APD drawdown of -60.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CL and APD.

Drawdown Indicators

	CL	APD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-58.91%	-60.30%	+1.39%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-18.64%	-22.39%	+3.75%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-29.05%	-30.43%	+1.38%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.05%	-31.77%	+2.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.05%	-31.77%	+2.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-18.69%	-13.74%	-4.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.24%	-11.05%	-0.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.21%	8.85%	+2.36%

Volatility

CL vs. APD - Volatility Comparison

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) has a higher volatility of 6.45% compared to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) at 5.77%. This indicates that CL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than APD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CL	APD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.45%	5.77%	+0.68%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.66%	18.94%	-2.28%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.10%	24.65%	-3.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.64%	25.99%	-7.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.67%	25.90%	-6.23%

Dividends

CL vs. APD - Dividend Comparison

CL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.46%, less than APD's 2.54% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
APD Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.	2.54%	2.89%	1.83%	2.56%	2.10%	1.97%	1.96%	1.97%	2.75%	2.32%	2.39%	2.49%
CL Colgate-Palmolive Company	2.46%	2.61%	2.18%	2.40%	2.36%	2.10%	2.05%	2.48%	2.79%	2.11%	2.37%	2.25%

Financials

CL vs. APD - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Colgate-Palmolive Company and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Colgate-Palmolive Company reported a gross profit of 3.23B and revenue of 5.32B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 60.6%.

APD - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. reported a gross profit of 987.40M and revenue of 3.17B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 31.1%.

CL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Colgate-Palmolive Company reported an operating income of 1.16B and revenue of 5.32B, resulting in an operating margin of 21.7%.

APD - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. reported an operating income of 752.70M and revenue of 3.17B, resulting in an operating margin of 23.7%.

CL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Colgate-Palmolive Company reported a net income of 646.00M and revenue of 5.32B, resulting in a net margin of 12.1%.

APD - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. reported a net income of 710.40M and revenue of 3.17B, resulting in a net margin of 22.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CL and APD in my portfolio?

CL and APD have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CL or APD?

CL has higher volatility (6.45%) compared to APD (5.77%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CL dropped -58.91% vs APD's -60.30%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.09 vs -0.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.