Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Coty Inc. (COTY) vs Unilever PLC (UL) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | UL | 1.9% revenue growth vs COTY's -3.7% |
| Value | COTY | Lower P/E (8.4x vs 19.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | UL | 10.2% net margin vs COTY's -9.2% |
| Stability / Safety | UL | Beta 0.03 vs COTY's 1.09 |
| Dividends | UL | 2.8% yield, vs COTY's 0.6% |
| Momentum (1Y) | UL | +35.3% vs COTY's -55.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | UL | 16.0% ROA vs COTY's -4.8%, ROIC 15.3% vs 2.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Coty is a global beauty company that manufactures and sells prestige fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare products. It generates revenue through two main segments: prestige beauty (approximately 60% of sales) sold through department stores and specialty retailers, and consumer beauty (around 40%) sold through mass-market channels like drugstores and supermarkets. The company's key advantage lies in its extensive portfolio of licensed prestige brands — including Gucci, Burberry, and Calvin Klein — which provides strong brand recognition and distribution leverage.
Unilever is a global consumer goods giant selling everyday household and personal care products through a vast portfolio of trusted brands. It generates revenue primarily from three segments: Beauty & Personal Care (~40% of sales), Foods & Refreshment (~35%), and Home Care (~25%), with strong emerging markets exposure. Its competitive moat lies in its massive scale, extensive distribution network, and portfolio of iconic brands that command consumer loyalty across price points.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
UL leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). COTY leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
UL is the larger business by revenue, generating $120.1B annually — 20.7x COTY's $5.8B. UL is the more profitable business, keeping 10.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to COTY's -9.2%. On growth, COTY holds the edge at +0.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | COTYCoty Inc. | ULUnilever PLC |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $5.8B | $120.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $373M | $21.7B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$534M | $12.2B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $394M | $14.5B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +63.7% | +71.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +1.2% | +15.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -9.2% | +10.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +6.8% | +12.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +0.5% | -3.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -7.0% | -3.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, COTY's 9.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than UL's 14.4x.
| Metric | COTYCoty Inc. | ULUnilever PLC |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.2B | $161.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.2B | $190.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -5.70x | 27.30x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.44x | 19.61x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 20.02x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 9.34x | 14.44x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.37x | 2.25x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.55x | 6.95x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.89x | 17.56x |
Profitability & Efficiency
UL delivers a 61.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $61 in annual profit, vs $-14 for COTY. COTY carries lower financial leverage with a 1.07x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to UL's 1.36x.
| Metric | COTYCoty Inc. | ULUnilever PLC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -14.4% | +61.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.8% | +16.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.3% | +15.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +2.6% | +17.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.07x | 1.36x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $4.0B | $24.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $257M | $6.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4.2B | $30.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -1.24x | 20.96x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in UL five years ago would be worth $16,056 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,110 for COTY. Over the past 12 months, UL leads with a +35.3% total return vs COTY's -55.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors UL at 17.1% vs COTY's -39.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | COTYCoty Inc. | ULUnilever PLC |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -19.3% | +14.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -55.9% | +35.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.8% | +60.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -68.9% | +60.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -84.1% | +120.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -39.4% | +17.1% |
Risk & Volatility
UL is the less volatile stock with a 0.03 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than COTY's 1.09 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. UL currently trades 98.4% from its 52-week high vs COTY's 40.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | COTYCoty Inc. | ULUnilever PLC |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.09x | 0.03x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.13 | $74.98 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.44 | $56.20 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +40.9% | +98.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 40.7 | 61.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 7.4M | 2.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates COTY as "Hold" and UL as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 62.2% upside for COTY (target: $4) vs -11.1% for UL (target: $66). For income investors, UL offers the higher dividend yield at 2.76% vs COTY's 0.61%.
| Metric | COTYCoty Inc. | ULUnilever PLC |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $4.07 | $65.55 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 33 | 35 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.6% | +2.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.02 | $1.72 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.1% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coty Inc. (COTY) | 100 | 34.84 | -65.2% |
| Unilever PLC (UL) | 100 | 123.18 | +23.2% |
Unilever PLC (UL) returned +61% over 5 years vs Coty Inc. (COTY)'s -69%. A $10,000 investment in UL 5 years ago would be worth $16,056 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coty Inc. (COTY) | $4.3B | $5.9B | +35.5% |
| Unilever PLC (UL) | $52.7B | $60.8B | +15.3% |
Coty Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.3B (2016) to $5.9B (2025) — a 3.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coty Inc. (COTY) | 3.6% | -6.2% | -273.1% |
| Unilever PLC (UL) | 9.8% | 9.5% | -3.9% |
Coty Inc.'s net margin went from 4% (2016) to -6% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coty Inc. (COTY) | 27.6 | 80.6 | +192.0% |
| Unilever PLC (UL) | 25.9 | 24.8 | -4.2% |
Coty Inc. has traded in a 22x–81x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-6x. Unilever PLC has traded in a 15x–29x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~27x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coty Inc. (COTY) | 0.44 | -0.44 | -200.0% |
| Unilever PLC (UL) | 1.82 | 2.29 | +25.8% |
Coty Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.44 (2016) to $-0.44 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Coty Inc. generated $278M FCF in 2025 (+92% vs 2021). Unilever PLC generated $8B FCF in 2024 (+13% vs 2021).
COTY vs UL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is COTY or UL a better buy right now?
Unilever PLC (UL) offers the better valuation at 27.3x trailing P/E (19.6x 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.
02Which has the better valuation — COTY or UL?
On forward P/E, Coty Inc. is actually cheaper at 8.4x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — COTY or UL?
Over the past 5 years, Unilever PLC (UL) delivered a total return of +60.6%, compared to -68.9% for Coty Inc. (COTY). A $10,000 investment in UL five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UL returned +120.1% versus COTY's -84.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — COTY or UL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Unilever PLC (UL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.03β versus Coty Inc.'s 1.09β — meaning COTY is approximately 3476% more volatile than UL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Coty Inc. (COTY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 107% versus 136% for Unilever PLC — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — COTY or UL?
Unilever PLC (UL) is the more profitable company, earning 9.5% net margin versus -6.2% for Coty Inc. — meaning it keeps 9.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: UL leads at 15.5% versus 4.1% for COTY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UL leads at 100.0%, 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.
06Is COTY or UL more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Coty Inc. (COTY) trades at 8.4x forward P/E versus 19.6x for Unilever PLC — 11.2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COTY: 62.2% to $4.07.
07Which pays a better dividend — COTY or UL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Unilever PLC (UL) offers the highest yield at 2.8%, versus 0.6% for Coty Inc. (COTY).
08Is COTY or UL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Unilever PLC (UL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.03), 2.8% yield, +120.1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (UL: +120.1%, COTY: -84.1%), 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.
09What are the main differences between COTY and UL?
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. 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.