Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE: EL)

Sector: Consumer Defensive Industry: Household & Personal Products CIK: 0001001250
Market Cap 34.41 Bn
P/B 8.54
P/E -193.32
P/S 2.35
ROIC (Qtr) 1.77
Div Yield % 1.45
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -47.19
Total Debt (Qtr) 9.39 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 2.33

About

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., commonly known as EL, is a prominent player in the beauty industry, specializing in the production, marketing, and sale of a wide range of skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. Established in 1946 by Estée and Joseph Lauder, the company has grown into one of the most recognized beauty brands worldwide. EL's portfolio boasts 25 brands, including Estée Lauder, Clinique, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Aveda, and Jo Malone London, among others. EL's operations span over 150 countries and territories, with...

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Price action

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Healthy cash reserves of 3.08B provide 7.41x coverage of short-term debt 416M, demonstrating strong liquidity position and minimal refinancing risk.
  • Robust free cash flow of 1.15B exceeds capital expenditure of 520M by 2.21x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.
  • Retained earnings of 11.62B provide full 1.30x coverage of long-term debt 8.97B, indicating strong internal capital position.
  • Robust tangible asset base of 13.80B provides 7.31x coverage of working capital 1.89B, indicating strong operational backing.
  • Operating cash flow of 1.67B fully covers other non-current liabilities 1.36B by 1.23x, showing strong long-term stability.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 1.67B barely covers its investment activities of (537M), with a coverage ratio of -3.11, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Operating cash flow of 1.67B provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (507M) with a -3.29 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Operating earnings of 578M show weak coverage of depreciation charges of 811M, with a 0.71 ratio indicating high capital intensity and potential reinvestment needs.
  • High depreciation of 811M relative to operating cash flow of 1.67B, which is 0.49x suggests significant maintenance capital requirements affecting free cash flow.
  • Retained earnings of 11.62B provide limited buffer against comprehensive income items of (1.08B), which is -10.76x, indicating elevated exposure to market risks.

Geographical Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Household & Personal Products
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 PG PROCTER & GAMBLE Co 401.54 Bn 29.00 5.43 36.64 Bn
2 UL Unilever Plc 182.31 Bn 22.43 2.85 -
3 CL Colgate Palmolive Co 78.47 Bn 52.42 4.20 8.42 Bn
4 KMB Kimberly Clark Corp 35.97 Bn 19.97 1.96 7.30 Bn
5 EL Estee Lauder Companies Inc 34.41 Bn -193.32 2.35 9.39 Bn
6 KVUE Kenvue Inc. 34.07 Bn 23.78 2.27 8.97 Bn
7 CHD Church & Dwight Co Inc /De/ 25.66 Bn 58.49 7.25 2.20 Bn
8 CLX Clorox Co /De/ 14.46 Bn 19.15 2.14 3.22 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 2.12 1.51
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 24.92 11.18
EV to Debt EV to Debt 4.43 4.46
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 72.00 22.50
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 32.08 5.19
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 36.19 29.65
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.21 -1.73
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 2.84 2.27
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 8.54 -46.60
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E -193.32 15.50
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) -0.35 8.97
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) -280.00 5.07
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 1.40 0.95
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 44.08 10.73
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 1.67 2.60
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 21.80 -97.30
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 19.18 5.93
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) -39.91 -0.27
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 46.44 -154.67
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 958.94 -119.65
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 170.57 -149.91
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 118.18 -226.50
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 86.03 -132.37
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 0.44 27.80
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) -22.86 -2.04
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.75 0.82
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.23 0.19
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.58 0.75
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.36 2.30
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 2.33 1.13
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 1.67 2.60
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 1.67 2.60
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 9.50 -32.80
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 3.94 -37.22
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 1.58 -40.91
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 74.30 50.08
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) -1.20 -43.08