Colgate-Palmolive is exploring the sale of several mass-market personal care brands in a divestment that could fetch more than $1 billion, according to a Reuters report citing people familiar with the matter. The New York-based consumer products giant is working with Goldman Sachs to gauge buyer interest in select assets, including Softsoap, Irish Spring, and Speed Stick. The targeted brands are a subset of Colgate's broader personal care division, which spans deodorants, soaps, shower gels, and skin care lines. The move reflects a wider trend among multinational consumer packaged goods companies trimming secondary brands to focus capital and marketing on higher-margin core categories such as oral care and pet nutrition. Colgate, which carries a market capitalization of approximately $70 billion, has posted a roughly 4% stock gain over the past year.
Colgate-Palmolive CompanyColgate is exploring a $1B+ divestiture of Softsoap, Irish Spring, and Speed Stick to refocus capital on higher-margin core categories.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc