We recently published a list of 12 Best Cosmetics Stocks to Buy for 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) stands against other best cosmetics stocks to buy for 2025.

Overview of the Cosmetics Industry

According to Grand View Research, the global cosmetics industry has a market size of around $295.95 billion as of 2023. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1% between 2024 and 2030. The primary driver of this growth is the rising awareness among consumers about improving their external appearance. Products such as makeup, hair care, skin care, and color cosmetics have become essential parts of everyday life, leading to their increased demand. Another factor supporting market expansion in this sector is the introduction of non-toxic, natural, and organic cosmetic products.

The online cosmetics market is reflecting similar trends. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the online cosmetics market had a size of $16.23 billion in 2025. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.47% between 2025 and 2030, reaching $24.37 billion at the end of the forecast period.

READ ALSO: 15 Best Blue Chip Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires and Top 10 Restaurant Stocks to Buy Under $20. 

What Would Trump’s Tariffs Mean for the American K-Beauty Cosmetic Industry?

South Korea takes the lead for cosmetic imports, but a 25% tariff could be imposed on the country if President Trump decides to give the green signal after a 90-day pause on a majority of his new reciprocal tariffs. On April 16, CBS News reported that the US imported more than $7.5 billion in cosmetics last year, according to estimates made by the US International Trade Commission. Around $1.7 billion of these imports came from South Korea, as American retailers are seeing a significant boom in the K-beauty industry with the sale of Korean skincare, hair care, and makeup products. This trend is partly emerging due to social media influencers consistently promoting K-beauty products.

However, the imposition of Trump’s tariffs could result in a significant price hike for these products, which is why consumers are “panic-buying” their favorite Korean products, according to CBS News. These trends are also proving worrisome to the Personal Care Products Council, a trade association representing more than 600 brands such as Estée Lauder, Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, and Neutrogena.

The association said in a statement that it is particularly “concerned about trade policies that could result in higher prices for personal care products,” adding that US consumers use “about six to 12 products each day, including sunscreen, toothpaste, shampoo, moisturizer, and fragrance.”

Our Methodology

We sifted through stock screeners, financial media reports, and ETFs to compile a list of 40 cosmetics stocks and chose the top 12 most popular among hedge funds as of Q4 2024. The list is ordered in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment. We sourced the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

An array of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwashes on a bright background, highlighting the company's oral care products.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 62

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) manufactures and sells various products for the personal and home care markets and operates in two product segments: Oral, Personal, and Home Care, and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal, and Home Care segment sells cleaning products worldwide. Its brand portfolio includes several reputable brands, including Colgate, Palmolive, Irish Spring, Sorriso, Protex, meridol, Axion, Sanex, and others.

On March 24, Bank of America Securities analyst Bryan Spillane maintained a Buy rating on Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL). The company reported strong operational results in fiscal Q4 2024, with gross margin rising 70 basis points to 60.3%. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) also maintained its dominant position in the global toothpaste market with 41.4% and manual toothbrushes with 32.2% global market share.

On March 20, the company raised its quarterly common stock cash dividend to 52c per share, up from 50c per share, effective in H2 2025. The company has been paying uninterrupted dividends on its common stock since 1895. Diamond Hill Large Cap Strategy also expressed bullish sentiments on the stock, and stated the following regarding Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:

“As valuations have continued rising and the economic cycle has gotten relatively long in the tooth, we’ve thought carefully about where and how we are exposed to more cyclical stocks. As such, we initiated just two new positions in Q4: Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) and the aforementioned Lululemon.

Colgate-Palmolive is a high-quality business with leading positions in oral care, home products and pet nutrition. Historically, the company has allocated capital well, and it produces significant free cash flows. Shares were pressured in Q4 primarily, we believe, in sympathy with near-term macroeconomic concerns rather than any fundamental issues at the business. We consequently capitalized on the underperformance and compelling valuation to start a position.”

Overall, CL ranks 2nd on our list of the best cosmetics stocks to buy for 2025. While we acknowledge the potential for CL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CL but trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.