Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s Proposed Senior Unsecured Euro Notes Rated 'AA-'
View Analyst Contact Information
CHICAGO (S&P Global Ratings) Feb. 26, 2019--S&P Global Ratings today assigned
its 'AA-' issue-level rating to New York City-based Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s
proposed senior unsecured euro notes. The notes will be drawn from the
company's series H medium-term note program and we expect it to use the net
proceeds from these notes for general corporate purposes, including debt
repayment. All of our existing ratings on Colgate-Palmolive, including our
'AA-' issuer credit rating, remain unchanged. The company had approximately
$6.4 billion of debt outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2018.
Our ratings on Colgate reflect its high brand equity and solid market
positions, particularly in oral care. We believe the inherently stable demand
characteristics of the company's oral, personal, and home care products,
combined with its product development expertise, should enable it to maintain
modest long-term revenue growth. We also view the company's extensive
international presence as a credit positive, notwithstanding foreign currency
headwinds, commodity inflation, heightened competitive activity from local
players, and weak economic conditions in many emerging markets that have
recently pressured its performance. Our ratings also incorporate Colgate's
solid and predictable free cash flow and our expectation that it will maintain
strong credit metrics, including leverage in the mid-to-high 1x area.
For the complete issuer credit rating rationale, please see our most recent
summary analysis on Colgate-Palmolive Co., published Oct. 25, 2018, on
RatingsDirect.
RELATED CRITERIA