On Tuesday, Citi maintained its Neutral rating on shares of Coty Inc . (NYSE: NYSE:COTY), with a steady price target of $10.00. The beauty company reported preliminary results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, with like-for-like (LFL) sales growth of 4-5%, which was not only below their own guidance of 6% but also short of the consensus estimate of 5.8%.
This shortfall was attributed to a decline in U.S. mass beauty volumes in the latter half of the quarter and cautious order and inventory practices by retailers, leading to sell-in figures trailing behind sell-through in key markets such as the U.S., Australia, China, and Asia Travel Retail. These regions each contribute a low single-digit percentage to Coty's net sales.
Despite achieving a notable expansion in gross margin, Coty anticipates that its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter will be flat or slightly lower year-over-year compared to $360 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024. This is a downward adjustment from the previously forecasted EBITDA range of $386-393 million. The company's performance reflects the impact of softer sales trends, increased spending on brand support, the timing of certain fixed costs, and the effects of divesting the Lacoste license.
Looking ahead, Coty expects to see moderate LFL sales growth in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 and projects some acceleration in LFL growth during the second half of the fiscal year. Despite the current challenges, the company is still projecting an increase in EBITDA of 9-11% for the full fiscal year 2025. This guidance remains unchanged, signaling Coty's confidence in its ability to meet its financial targets for the year despite the setbacks experienced in the first quarter.
In other recent news, Coty Inc. reported a moderate growth of 4-5% in like-for-like sales for the first quarter, slightly below its initial estimate of 6% growth. The beauty company has also reaffirmed its full-year profit target, indicating a positive financial outlook. Amid these developments, Coty has formed its first Scientific Advisory Board to guide its skincare research and development.
Analyst firms, including Jefferies, TD Cowen, Canaccord Genuity, and DA Davidson, have expressed positive outlooks for Coty, with Jefferies upgrading the stock from Hold to Buy, citing its strong position in the premium fragrance market. These are recent developments in the company's operations and market performance.
Coty's Q4 results showed a modest revenue increase of 0.9%, slightly missing the anticipated 1.8% growth. However, adjusted EBITDA reached $164.5 million, slightly surpassing their guidance. The company has forecasted a 6-8% growth in like-for-like sales for the first half of fiscal year 2025. Analyst firms TD Cowen and Canaccord Genuity maintained a Buy rating on Coty, while DA Davidson raised their EBITDA growth expectations for Coty in fiscal year 2025 to 10%.
In a strategic move, Coty has established its first Scientific Advisory Board, aiming to guide the company's skincare research and development. Analyst firms have varied outlooks on Coty's performance, with TD Cowen maintaining a steady price target of $13.00, Canaccord Genuity sticking to its $14.00 price target, and DA Davidson increasing the price target to $17.00. Despite these developments, Stifel maintained a Hold rating but lowered the share target, while Citi reaffirmed its Neutral rating.
InvestingPro Insights
Despite Coty's recent challenges, InvestingPro data reveals some interesting insights that complement the article's analysis. The company's revenue for the last twelve months stands at $6.118 billion, with a notable revenue growth of 10.15% over the same period. This growth, albeit slower than expected in Q1 2025, aligns with the company's projection of moderate growth in Q2 and acceleration in the latter half of the fiscal year.
An InvestingPro Tip highlights Coty's impressive gross profit margins, which is reflected in the data showing a gross profit margin of 64.39% for the last twelve months. This strong margin performance supports the article's mention of notable gross margin expansion, even as the company faces challenges in sales volume and retailer inventory practices.
Another relevant InvestingPro Tip indicates that net income is expected to grow this year. This optimistic outlook corresponds with Coty's maintained EBITDA growth projection of 9-11% for fiscal year 2025, despite the Q1 setback.
It's worth noting that InvestingPro offers 6 additional tips for Coty, providing investors with a more comprehensive analysis of the company's financial health and market position.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.