The Moat Index

Estee Lauder Companies Inc

EL · Materials · $29.6B mkt cap · FY2025 filings · Narrow moat

On the watchlist

67/ 100
Narrow moat

The four filters

Pricing power99

Median gross margin 76.0% over 10y, very stable.

Returns on capital90

Median ROIC 20.7%, above the 9% hurdle in 70% of years.

Balance-sheet safety0

Net debt/EBITDA 99.9x, interest coverage -2x.

Capital discipline53

Owner earnings trend unclear, share count shrinking (buybacks).

Margin of safety

Above valueOn sale
164% above value
Owner earnings (normalized)
$1.0B
Est. intrinsic value / share
$31.16
Recent price
$82.27
Discount to value
164% above value

Conservative model: 9% discount rate, 0% assumed growth (capped at 4%), maintenance capex ≈ min(capex, D&A).

Moat Score history

Score history begins 2026-07-17. Check back as the record builds.

Scores are logged append-only and never overwritten — this record can't be backfilled, which is exactly why it's worth keeping.

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Estee Lauder Companies Inc (EL) Moat Score — The Moat Index · Buy Like Buffett