IPAR vs EL

For growth investors, Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) is the stronger pick with 2. 5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -8. 5% for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL). 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 Inter Parfums, Inc. (IPAR) a "Hold" — based on 19 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, Inter Parfums, Inc.

is actually cheaper at 19. 5x.

Over the past 5 years, Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) delivered a total return of +47. 6%, compared to -67. 5% for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IPAR returned +256. 9% versus EL's +11. 7%. 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 The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. 's 1. 76β — meaning EL is approximately 190% 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 2% for The Estée Lauder Companies 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 -8. 5% for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Inter Parfums, Inc. grew EPS 2. 3% year-over-year, compared to -391. 7% for The Estée Lauder Companies 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 -7. 9% for The Estée Lauder Companies 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 6. 7% for EL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — EL leads at 73. 9%, 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, Inter Parfums, Inc.

(IPAR) trades at 19. 5x forward P/E versus 37. 0x for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. — 17. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EL: 20. 0% to $103. 46.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Inter Parfums, Inc. (IPAR) offers the highest yield at 3. 4%, versus 2. 0% for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL).

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). The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) carries a higher beta of 1. 76 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (IPAR: +256. 9%, EL: +11. 7%), 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: IPAR is a small-cap income-oriented stock; EL is a mid-cap quality compounder 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.