Goldman Sees Premium Pet Food As Bright Spot For Colgate And General Mills Amid Consumer Caution

Core Insights - The U.S. consumer is becoming more cautious due to inflation, tariffs, and geopolitical uncertainty, impacting the broader staples sector [1] - Premium pet food offerings from companies like Colgate-Palmolive and General Mills are expected to remain resilient despite short-term pressures in the consumer packaged goods sector [2] Company Analysis - Colgate-Palmolive is expected to achieve sustained mid-single-digit organic sales growth driven by its Hill's Pet Nutrition division, with a price forecast of $106.00 and a Buy rating reiterated by analysts [3][5] - General Mills is projected to return to 2$68.00 has been reiterated [6] Market Trends - The global premium pet food market is projected to grow at around 5% through 2030, with contributions from both volume and pricing [4] - The increasing humanization of pets is expected to drive mid-single-digit category growth, benefiting premium pet food [7] Competitive Landscape - General Mills has historically expanded market share through acquisitions, with its recent purchase of Whitebridge expected to enhance its position in the pet food market [7] - Despite competition from private labels, General Mills's premium positioning has supported sales acceleration and market share stability [8]