GIS vs. CL
GIS (General Mills, Inc.) and CL (Colgate-Palmolive Company) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Defensive sector — GIS in Packaged Foods, CL in Household & Personal Products. Over the past 10 years, GIS returned -2.69%/yr vs 4.38%/yr for CL. At a 0.38 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
GIS vs. CL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GIS achieves a -16.19% return, which is significantly lower than CL's 16.61% return. Over the past 10 years, GIS has underperformed CL with an annualized return of -2.69%, while CL has yielded a comparatively higher 4.38% annualized return.
GIS
- 1D
- -1.14%
- 1M
- 13.09%
- 6M
- -13.54%
- YTD
- -16.19%
- 1Y
- -19.76%
- 3Y*
- -17.88%
- 5Y*
- -5.14%
- 10Y*
- -2.69%
- ALL TIME*
- 9.20%
CL
- 1D
- -1.56%
- 1M
- 1.72%
- 6M
- 7.85%
- YTD
- 16.61%
- 1Y
- 7.07%
- 3Y*
- 7.95%
- 5Y*
- 4.49%
- 10Y*
- 4.38%
- ALL TIME*
- 10.27%
GIS vs. CL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GIS General Mills, Inc. | -16.19% | -23.75% | 1.45% | -19.97% | 28.09% | 18.53% | 13.60% | 43.13% | -31.57% | -0.65% |
CL Colgate-Palmolive Company | 16.61% | -10.98% | 16.57% | 3.78% | -5.44% | 2.08% | 27.17% | 18.60% | -19.19% | 17.88% |
Correlation
The correlation between GIS and CL is 0.53, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.51 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.50 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 10, 1983 | 0.38 |
The correlation between GIS and CL shifts across timeframes, from 0.38 (all time) to 0.53 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
GIS:
$19.83B
CL:
$72.42B
GIS:
-$0.16
CL:
$2.59
GIS:
1.09
CL:
3.51
GIS:
2.71
CL:
502.49
GIS:
$18.42B
CL:
$20.80B
GIS:
$6.19B
CL:
$12.49B
GIS:
$300.90M
CL:
$3.92B
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Return for Risk
GIS vs. CL — Risk / Return Rank
GIS
CL
GIS vs. CL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for General Mills, Inc. (GIS) and Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| GIS | CL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.07 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.61 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.89 | 1.07 | -0.18 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.58 | 0.42 | -0.99 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.11 | 0.75 | -1.86 |
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Drawdowns
GIS vs. CL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GIS drawdown since its inception was -59.63%, roughly equal to the maximum CL drawdown of -58.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GIS and CL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GIS | CL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.63% | -58.91% | -0.72% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -34.48% | -16.97% | -17.51% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -53.45% | -29.05% | -24.40% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -59.63% | -29.05% | -30.58% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -59.63% | -29.05% | -30.58% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -52.58% | -12.80% | -39.78% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.39% | -11.24% | +0.85% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 17.86% | 9.46% | +8.40% |
Volatility
GIS vs. CL - Volatility Comparison
General Mills, Inc. (GIS) has a higher volatility of 13.02% compared to Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) at 7.76%. This indicates that GIS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GIS | CL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 13.02% | 7.76% | +5.26% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.43% | 17.66% | +3.77% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 26.40% | 22.49% | +3.91% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.90% | 19.07% | +2.83% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 22.42% | 19.86% | +2.56% |
Dividends
GIS vs. CL - Dividend Comparison
GIS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.57%, more than CL's 2.32% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CL Colgate-Palmolive Company | 2.32% | 2.61% | 2.18% | 2.40% | 2.36% | 2.10% | 2.05% | 2.48% | 2.79% | 2.11% | 2.37% | 2.25% |
GIS General Mills, Inc. | 6.57% | 5.20% | 3.73% | 3.47% | 2.50% | 3.03% | 3.37% | 3.66% | 5.03% | 3.27% | 3.01% | 3.00% |
Financials
GIS vs. CL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between General Mills, Inc. and Colgate-Palmolive Company. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
GIS vs. CL - Profitability Comparison
GIS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, General Mills, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.60B and revenue of 4.61B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 34.8%.
CL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 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%.
GIS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, General Mills, Inc. reported an operating income of -2.09B and revenue of 4.61B, resulting in an operating margin of -45.4%.
CL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Colgate-Palmolive Company reported an operating income of 1.16B and revenue of 5.32B, resulting in an operating margin of 21.7%.
GIS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, General Mills, Inc. reported a net income of -2.01B and revenue of 4.61B, resulting in a net margin of -43.6%.
CL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Colgate-Palmolive Company reported a net income of 646.00M and revenue of 5.32B, resulting in a net margin of 12.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
GIS and CL have a correlation of 0.53, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GIS has higher volatility (13.02%) compared to CL (7.76%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GIS dropped -59.63% vs CL's -58.91%.
CL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.32 vs -0.75), 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.
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