RGS vs COTY vs EL vs SKIN vs ULTA

For growth investors, Ulta Beauty, Inc.

(ULTA) is the stronger pick with 9. 7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -10. 0% for The Beauty Health Company (SKIN). Regis Corporation (RGS) offers the better valuation at 0. 6x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) a "Buy" — based on 47 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 trailing P/E, Regis Corporation (RGS) is the cheapest at 0.

6x versus Ulta Beauty, Inc. at 20. 5x. On forward P/E, Coty Inc. is actually cheaper at 9. 2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Ulta Beauty, Inc.

(ULTA) delivered a total return of +63. 1%, compared to -92. 9% for The Beauty Health Company (SKIN). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ULTA returned +152. 6% versus SKIN's -91. 6%. 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), Ulta Beauty, Inc.

(ULTA) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 74β versus The Beauty Health Company's 2. 00β — meaning SKIN is approximately 168% more volatile than ULTA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 78% versus 6% for The Beauty Health Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Ulta Beauty, Inc.

(ULTA) is pulling ahead at 9. 7% versus -10. 0% for The Beauty Health Company (SKIN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Beauty Health Company grew EPS 55. 6% year-over-year, compared to -609. 8% for Coty Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, ULTA leads at 6. 7% 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.

Regis Corporation (RGS) is the more profitable company, earning 58.

8% net margin versus -7. 9% for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. — meaning it keeps 58. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ULTA leads at 39. 1% versus -6. 9% for SKIN. 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, Coty Inc.

(COTY) trades at 9. 2x forward P/E versus 38. 4x for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. — 29. 3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COTY: 60. 4% to $4. 01.

In this comparison, EL (2.

0% yield), COTY (0. 6% yield) pay a dividend. RGS, SKIN, ULTA do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Coty Inc.

(COTY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1. 08), 0. 6% yield). The Beauty Health Company (SKIN) carries a higher beta of 2. 00 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (COTY: -83. 0%, SKIN: -91. 6%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (RGS (Consumer Cyclical) and COTY (Consumer Defensive) and EL (Consumer Defensive) and SKIN (Consumer Defensive) and ULTA (Consumer Cyclical)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: RGS is a small-cap deep-value stock; COTY is a small-cap quality compounder stock; EL is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; SKIN is a small-cap quality compounder stock; ULTA is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. COTY, EL pay a dividend while RGS, SKIN, ULTA do not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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.