COTY vs IPAR

For growth investors, Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) is the stronger pick with 2. 5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -3. 7% for Coty Inc. (COTY). Inter Parfums, Inc. (IPAR) offers the better valuation at 18. 0x trailing P/E (19. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Coty Inc. (COTY) a "Hold" — based on 33 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On forward P/E, Coty Inc.

is actually cheaper at 8. 2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) delivered a total return of +47. 6%, compared to -72. 6% for Coty Inc. (COTY). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IPAR returned +256. 9% versus COTY's -83. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 61β versus Coty Inc. 's 1. 13β — meaning COTY is approximately 87% more volatile than IPAR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Inter Parfums, Inc. (IPAR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 20% versus 107% for Coty Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) is pulling ahead at 2. 5% versus -3. 7% for Coty Inc. (COTY). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Inter Parfums, Inc. grew EPS 2. 3% year-over-year, compared to -609. 8% for Coty Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, IPAR leads at 11. 1% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) is the more profitable company, earning 11. 3% net margin versus -6. 2% for Coty Inc. — meaning it keeps 11. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: IPAR leads at 18. 2% versus 4. 1% for COTY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — COTY leads at 64. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Coty Inc.

(COTY) trades at 8. 2x forward P/E versus 19. 5x for Inter Parfums, Inc. — 11. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COTY: 57. 9% to $3. 90.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Inter Parfums, Inc. (IPAR) offers the highest yield at 3. 4%, versus 0. 6% for Coty Inc. (COTY).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 61), 3. 4% yield, +256. 9% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (IPAR: +256. 9%, COTY: -83. 1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Consumer Defensive sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: COTY is a small-cap quality compounder stock; IPAR is a small-cap income-oriented stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.