CEO Reuben Mark

Signs of an improving economy might be in your kitchen or bathroom cupboards. Consumers are showing a willingness to pay a little more to get Colgate toothpaste, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Gillette Fusion shavers. That's good news for the economy and the multibillion-dollar companies that make those products and have been battling to keep shoppers from trading down to store brands to save money. Procter & Gamble Co., Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Kellogg Co. all gave upbeat earnings reports and even stronger outlooks for next year on Thursday, a day that also saw the announcement that U.S. gross domestic product rose for the first time ... Read Full Story

Personal care products maker Colgate-Palmolive Co. reports earnings for the fiscal third quarter on Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. OVERVIEW: Colgate-Palmolive, which makes consumer products such as Palmolive dishwashing liquid, Ajax cleanser and its namesake toothpaste, has raised prices to keep up with higher ingredient costs. During the second quarter, earnings rose 14 percent, even though consumers shied away from the higher prices, which dampened revenue. At the time, Chief Executive Ian Cook said the New York company didn't plan on raising prices again for the rest of the year, but the company ... Read Full Story

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co <PG.N> and Colgate-Palmolive Co <CL.N> posted higher-than-expected quarterly sales and earnings on Thursday, as efforts to lure consumers back to their brand-name household goods start to pay off. Shares of P&G, which also raised its fiscal-year sales forecast, rose 3.4 percent in premarket trading. Colgate stock fell 0.9 percent. The companies, which both make toothpaste, toothbrushes and a variety of other household goods, have been pressured for months as shoppers sought out cheaper products. P&G still appears to be facing more pressure than Colgate, as its larger pantry of brands includes pricey products such as perfume and ... Read Full Story

Consumer products maker Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s third-quarter profit rose 18 percent as new products gained market share and shoppers continued to pay higher prices for its products. The maker of toothpaste, dish soap and Ajax cleanser said Thursday that it earned $590 million, or $1.12 per share, in the quarter that ended in September. A year ago, Colgate earned $500 million, or 94 cents per share. Revenue rose to $4 billion from $3.99 billion, helped by a 5 percent rise in prices worldwide. Colgate has raised prices to keep up with higher ingredient costs. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected $1.11 per share and revenue ... Read Full Story

In the past year, Colgate-Palmolive has raised prices on its products and boosted advertising amid a weak ad market with attractive rates. Chief Executive Ian Cook said the company plans to boost spending again in the fourth quarter. On a conference call with analysts, he said competitors aren't spending as much to promote their brands to shoppers. Recently, Colgate launched a new marketing campaign for its Colgate Total toothpaste brand with spokeswoman Brooke Shields, with ads appearing on television. QUESTION: What are your plans for advertising the rest of this year? RESPONSE: "Our advertising in the fourth quarter will be up, both in absolute ... Read Full Story