Potential Divestment Could Reshape Colgate's Brand Portfolio

Colgate-Palmolive is exploring the sale of select mass-market personal-care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, according to Reuters sources. The selected brands could collectively fetch more than $1 billion if a transaction is completed. Goldman Sachs has been engaged to advise Colgate-Palmolive on the potential divestment process. The company is not looking to exit its entire personal-care business; the review covers only selected brands within the portfolio. Colgate-Palmolive and Goldman Sachs have not publicly commented on the potential transaction, meaning the process remains exploratory. Strategic Rationale Behind the Potential Brand Sale: Colgate's broader personal-care business accounted for approximately 17% of company-wide sales in 2025, equivalent to roughly $3.5 billion. A divestment could allow Colgate to concentrate resources on higher-priority and potentially faster-growing brands and categories. Proceeds from a potential sale could provide additional financial flexibility for investment, debt management, shareholder returns or portfolio restructuring. The move comes amid broader portfolio optimisation across global consumer-goods companies as businesses respond to tariffs, higher input costs and changing consumer spending patterns.