JNJ vs. CL

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

JNJ (Johnson & Johnson) and CL (Colgate-Palmolive Company) are both stocks. JNJ operates in Drug Manufacturers - General (Healthcare), while CL operates in Household & Personal Products (Consumer Defensive). Over the past 10 years, JNJ returned 9.85%/yr vs 4.14%/yr for CL. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

JNJ vs. CL - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with JNJ having a 9.07% return and CL slightly lower at 8.73%. Over the past 10 years, JNJ has outperformed CL with an annualized return of 9.85%, while CL has yielded a comparatively lower 4.14% annualized return.

JNJ

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: 0.14%
• YTD: 9.07%
• 6M: 9.93%
• 1Y: 48.18%
• 3Y*: 15.79%
• 5Y*: 9.14%
• 10Y*: 9.85%

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%

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

JNJ vs. CL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
JNJ Johnson & Johnson	9.07%	47.48%	-4.81%	-8.58%	5.97%	11.44%	10.82%	16.22%	-5.13%	24.43%
CL Colgate-Palmolive Company	8.73%	-10.98%	16.57%	3.78%	-5.44%	2.08%	27.17%	18.60%	-19.19%	17.88%

Correlation

The correlation between JNJ and CL is 0.41, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.41
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.41
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.46
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.43
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 1977	0.37

Fundamentals

Market Cap JNJ : $545.87B CL : $68.33B
EPS JNJ : $8.65 CL : $2.58
PE Ratio JNJ : 25.81 CL : 32.90
PEG Ratio JNJ : 0.86 CL : 8.50
PS Ratio JNJ : 5.64 CL : 3.30
PB Ratio JNJ : 6.72 CL : 471.23
Total Revenue (TTM) JNJ : $96.36B CL : $20.80B
Gross Profit (TTM) JNJ : $66.60B CL : $12.49B
EBITDA (TTM) JNJ : $31.62B CL : $3.92B

Return for Risk

JNJ vs. CL — Risk / Return Rank

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

JNJ

JNJ Risk / Return Rank: 92
JNJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
JNJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
JNJ Omega Ratio Rank: 93
JNJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
JNJ Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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

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.

JNJ vs. CL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 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.

	JNJ	CL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.91	-0.19	+3.10
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.26	-0.13	+4.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.52	0.99	+0.54
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.42	-0.21	+4.63
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.33	-0.36	+13.68
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

JNJ vs. CL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current JNJ Sharpe Ratio is 2.91, which is higher than the CL Sharpe Ratio of -0.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of JNJ and CL, 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

	JNJ	CL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.91	-0.19	+3.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.55	0.14	+0.40
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.21	+0.32
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.53	0.42	+0.11

Drawdowns

JNJ vs. CL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum JNJ drawdown since its inception was -50.67%, smaller than the maximum CL drawdown of -58.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for JNJ and CL.

Drawdown Indicators

	JNJ	CL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-50.67%	-58.91%	+8.24%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.96%	-18.64%	+7.68%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.95%	-29.05%	+13.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.41%	-29.05%	+10.64%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-27.37%	-29.05%	+1.68%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.67%	-18.69%	+9.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.88%	-11.24%	-0.64%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.63%	11.21%	-7.58%

Volatility

JNJ vs. CL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is 5.20%, while Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) has a volatility of 6.45%. This indicates that JNJ experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	JNJ	CL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.20%	6.45%	-1.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.17%	16.66%	-4.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.67%	21.10%	-4.43%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.82%	18.64%	-1.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.45%	19.67%	-1.22%

Dividends

JNJ vs. CL - Dividend Comparison

JNJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.35%, less than CL's 2.46% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
JNJ Johnson & Johnson	2.35%	2.48%	3.40%	3.00%	2.52%	2.45%	2.53%	2.57%	2.74%	2.38%	2.73%	2.87%

Financials

JNJ vs. CL - Profitability Comparison

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

JNJ - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Johnson & Johnson reported a gross profit of 17.20B and revenue of 24.06B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 71.5%.

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%.

JNJ - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Johnson & Johnson reported an operating income of 6.40B and revenue of 24.06B, resulting in an operating margin of 26.6%.

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%.

JNJ - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Johnson & Johnson reported a net income of 5.24B and revenue of 24.06B, resulting in a net margin of 21.8%.

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%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both JNJ and CL in my portfolio?

JNJ and CL have a correlation of 0.41, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, JNJ or CL?

CL has higher volatility (6.45%) compared to JNJ (5.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, JNJ dropped -50.67% vs CL's -58.91%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

JNJ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.91 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.