EL vs. UL: Estée Lauder vs. Unilever Stock Comparison

July 23, 2026

How do Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL) are both classified in the Personal Care Products sub-industry within the broader Personal Care Products industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Estée Lauder (EL) trades as ordinary local shares, while Unilever (UL) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Profile Item	EL	UL
Name	The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Class A	Unilever PLC Sponsored American Depositary Receipt
Country/Region	United States	United Kingdom
GICS Sector	Consumer Staples	Consumer Staples
GICS Industry Group	Household & Personal Products	Household & Personal Products
GICS Industry	Personal Care Products	Personal Care Products
GICS Sub-Industry	Personal Care Products	Personal Care Products
Market Capitalization	29.80 billion USD	130.89 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	November 17, 1995	March 25, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GSPC

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
Total Return (1Y)	-2.86%	-6.36%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-21.44%	4.53%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-22.76%	1.86%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GSPC

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	46.56%	22.30%
Beta (5Y)	1.26	0.42
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-85.82%	-25.09%
Avg. Volume (3M)	3.48M	4.01M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

EL and UL are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.15	-0.47
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.20	-0.64

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Estée Lauder (EL) reports a negative ROE of -5.95%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Unilever (UL) reports 30.96%, ranking against industry peers normally.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

-5.95%

Max: 33.31%
Q3: 28.44%
Median: 13.69%
Q1: 0.17%
EL: -5.95%
Min: -20.43%

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

30.96%

Max: 33.31%
UL: 30.96%
Q3: 28.44%
Median: 13.69%
Q1: 0.17%
Min: -20.43%

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their ROE against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Estée Lauder (EL) reports a negative net margin of -1.67%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Unilever (UL) reports 18.75%, ranking against industry peers normally.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

-1.67%

Max: 19.16%
Q3: 11.33%
Median: 6.67%
Q1: 0.66%
EL: -1.67%
Min: -9.20%

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

18.75%

Max: 19.16%
UL: 18.75%
Q3: 11.33%
Median: 6.67%
Q1: 0.66%
Min: -9.20%

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their net margin against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Estée Lauder (EL) at 14.93% and Unilever (UL) at 20.05% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

14.93%

Max: 23.17%
Q3: 20.10%
EL: 14.93%
Median: 12.60%
Q1: 6.91%
Min: -9.69%

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

20.05%

Max: 23.17%
Q3: 20.10%
UL: 20.05%
Median: 12.60%
Q1: 6.91%
Min: -9.69%

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their operating margin against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
ROE (TTM)	-5.95%	30.96%
ROA (TTM)	4.87%	8.43%
Net Margin (TTM)	-1.67%	18.75%
Operating Margin (TTM)	14.93%	20.05%
Gross Margin (TTM)	74.65%	46.95%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Estée Lauder (EL) at -8.21% and Unilever (UL) at -3.77% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Unilever (UL) at 67.69% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Estée Lauder (EL) at -391.67% falls below its industry range — a large difference in per-share earnings trajectories.

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-8.21%	-3.77%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-6.87%	-5.62%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-391.67%	67.69%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	8.70%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Estée Lauder (EL) at 1.27 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Unilever (UL) at 0.79 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for UL.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

1.27

Max: 4.51
Q3: 3.12
Median: 1.95
EL: 1.27
Q1: 1.01
Min: 0.73

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

0.79

Max: 4.51
Q3: 3.12
Median: 1.95
Q1: 1.01
UL: 0.79
Min: 0.73

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their current ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Estée Lauder (EL) at 2.33 and Unilever (UL) at 1.61 lean more heavily on debt funding than most peers, landing in the higher-leverage quartile of their industries.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

2.33

EL: 2.33
Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.45
Median: 0.77
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.02

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

1.61

Max: 2.33
UL: 1.61
Q3: 1.45
Median: 0.77
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.02

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.27	0.79
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	2.33	1.61
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.63	2.14

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Unilever (UL) at 3.19% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Estée Lauder (EL) at 1.67% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, UL the richer one.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

1.67%

Max: 5.90%
Q3: 2.64%
EL: 1.67%
Median: 1.02%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

3.19%

Max: 5.90%
UL: 3.19%
Q3: 2.64%
Median: 1.02%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Estée Lauder (EL) reports payout ratio above 100% at 471.43%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Unilever (UL) reports 78.60%, ranking against industry peers normally.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

471.43%

EL: 471.43%
Max: 98.51%
Q3: 66.00%
Median: 36.90%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

78.60%

Max: 98.51%
UL: 78.60%
Q3: 66.00%
Median: 36.90%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.67%	3.19%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	471.43%	78.60%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Unilever (UL) trades at 21.03 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Estée Lauder (EL) has no P/E ratio this period.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

Max: 36.52
Q3: 24.48
Median: 20.82
Q1: 15.98
Min: 5.38
EL: --

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

21.03

Max: 36.52
Q3: 24.48
UL: 21.03
Median: 20.82
Q1: 15.98
Min: 5.38

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): EL does not report P/E ratio, so it has no value marker; UL is benchmarked against the Household & Personal Products industry group.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Estée Lauder (EL) at 2.01 and Unilever (UL) at 2.59 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

2.01

Max: 5.42
Q3: 2.97
EL: 2.01
Median: 1.58
Q1: 0.70
Min: 0.07

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

2.59

Max: 5.42
Q3: 2.97
UL: 2.59
Median: 1.58
Q1: 0.70
Min: 0.07

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Estée Lauder (EL) at 7.46 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Unilever (UL) at 7.47 carries an above-peer premium to book — UL is pricier on assets.

EL

Household & Personal Products industry group

7.46

Max: 11.82
Q3: 7.46
EL: 7.46
Median: 2.83
Q1: 1.04
Min: -2.96

UL

Household & Personal Products industry group

7.47

Max: 11.82
UL: 7.47
Q3: 7.46
Median: 2.83
Q1: 1.04
Min: -2.96

Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Unilever (UL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Household & Personal Products industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Estée Lauder (EL) and Unilever (UL)
Metric	EL	UL
P/E Ratio (TTM)	--	21.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)	2.01	2.59
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	7.46	7.47
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	6.07%	4.79%