14 Best Dividend Aristocrats to Invest in Heading into 2026

6. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 56

Upside Potential as of December 22: 12.15%

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is among the best dividend aristocrat stocks to buy now.

On December 19, BofA raised its price target on Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) to $90 from $88 and kept a Buy rating. Looking ahead to 2026, the firm said the biggest open question for consumer staples is still consumption growth. Valuations remain uneven across the sector, and “there feels little to get them off the sidelines in ’26 until fundamentals signal a greater turning of the tide,” the analyst wrote in a year-ahead note.

Two days earlier, on December 17, Jefferies struck a more constructive tone on the household and personal care space. The firm pointed to easing macro pressures, improving views on key categories, and what it sees as a strong lineup of new products in the year ahead. Jefferies remained more cautious on Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), citing softer expectations for oral care and slowing demand in premium pet products as reasons for its more reserved stance.

In its third-quarter 2025 earnings report, the company described a challenging operating backdrop. Management pointed to pressures from “consumer uncertainty, tariffs, geopolitics, high cost inflation and other factors” that weighed on sales and profit growth across the industry. The company reiterated its focus on its 2030 Strategy. It highlighted a portfolio of healthy brands in growing categories, strong market positions, and a broad global footprint. Nearly 50% of revenue exposure comes from faster-growing emerging markets, supported by what management described as a best-in-class global supply chain.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is a global consumer products company that manufactures and markets everyday household staples, with a core focus on oral care, personal care, and home care products.