Colgate-Palmolive Q2 net profit up 5.5% to ₹342 crore, narrowly misses estimates

MUMBAI: Toothpaste maker Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd reported a net profit of ₹342 crore for the July-September quarter of FY27, representing 5.5% growth when excluding a charge related to the inverted duty structure due to GST changes. It reported year-on-year topline growth of 12.2% to ₹1,691.57 crore for the quarter.

The company narrowly missed Bloomberg's estimates, which had projected net profit at ₹343 crore and revenue at ₹1,692 crore. In the preceding April-June quarter, the company had reported a profit of ₹343 crore on revenue of ₹1,591 crore.

“We are delighted to report double-digit topline growth for the second consecutive quarter. This consistent performance reflects broad-based growth momentum across our brands and distribution channels," said Manish Anandani, managing director & CEO of Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd. “The toothpaste portfolio delivered high-single digit volume expansion, led by our premium toothpaste range and strong performance in Colgate MaxFresh,” he added.

The company reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) of ₹470 crore, up 1.7% year-on-year. Ebitda margin was 27.8%, down 287 basis points year-on-year, according to calculations by Nuvama Institutional Equities. Advertising expenses were up 40% from a year earlier. The company also declared an interim dividend of ₹24 per share.

Shares of the company fell 2.03% on the NSE on Thursday, while the benchmark Nifty 50 shed 0.54%.

“Continued uptrend in maize and mentha oil prices along with Colgate’s higher saliency in terms of packaging costs will impact Colgate's margins,” analysts at Nomura Group said in a 28 September report.

In a surprise leadership rejig, Colgate-Palmolive India had appointed Manish Anandani as its new managing director and chief executive, effective 28 September, replacing Prabha Narasimhan, who moved to a regional role within the global company. Narasimhan stepped down as MD and CEO at the close of business on 27 September and took up the role of executive vice president, marketing, Asia-Pacific division, Colgate-Palmolive.

In her last address to analysts on 17 August, Narasimhan said she was disappointed with the performance of the Palmolive brand. “I must confess that this has been an area of disappointment. We've not done a great job with Palmolive,” she said.

The company also announced the resignation of Gunjit Jain as executive vice president – marketing, effective 30 November. It has appointed Colgate veteran Akash Parekh in his place.

Neethi Lisa Rojan is a senior correspondent focusing on the consumer goods and retail sector working from Mumbai for Mint since 2026. She has been a journalist for a little over two years with Moneycontrol and The Morning Context. She has covered the consumer and healthcare sectors in earlier roles. She was a double gold medallist during her bachelor’s from Mahatma Gandhi University Kerala and post-graduation from Pondicherry University. With a background in commerce and journalism, she brings a sharp analytical lens to stories on India’s fast-evolving consumer goods and retail sector.<br><br>With an academic background in business administration and a keen eye for financial statement analysis, she bridges the gap between corporate data and compelling narrative journalism. Her reporting is characterized by a focus on how evolving consumer behaviours and regulatory changes impact India's largest mass-market brands. She is a keen learner with diplomas in international business, human rights and journalism. She specialized in business journalism at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. When she is not looking into shopping carts, you can find her explaining the latest conspiracy theory.

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