EL vs KMB: Estee Lauder Companies and Kimberly-Clark compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Estee Lauder Companies is the larger company, worth $38.1B, close to Kimberly-Clark's $32.2B.
- Estee Lauder Companies grew revenue faster over the last year (+6.3% vs +0.6%).
- Kimberly-Clark keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (15.2% vs 5.2%).
- Estee Lauder Companies's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 10% a year, against 5% for Kimberly-Clark (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | EL | KMB |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $38.1B | $32.2B |
| Share price | $98.05 | $97.59 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $15.0B | $16.4B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $1.3B | $1.6B |
| Revenue growth, last year | +6.3% | +0.6% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | -4.0% | -4.1% |
| Operating margin | 5.2% | 15.2% |
| Net margin | 1.2% | 11.8% |
| Return on equity | 4.8% | 111.7% |
| P/E (trailing) | — | 18.8x |
| Price / free cash flow | 29.0x | 19.7x |
| EV / EBITDA | 24.8x | 12.3x |
| FCF growth the price implies | 9.8% | 4.8% |
| Dividend yield | 1.5% | 5.2% |
| Debt / equity | 4.19x | 9.53x |
| Fundamental grade | D | D |
| Superinvestors holding it | 5 | 8 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 8 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Estee Lauder Companies
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $17.7B | $2.0B | 17.9% |
| 2023 | $15.9B | $728M | 9.5% |
| 2024 | $15.6B | $1.4B | 6.2% |
| 2025 | $14.3B | $670M | -5.5% |
| 2026 | $15.0B | $1.3B | 5.2% |
Kimberly-Clark
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $19.4B | $1.7B | 13.2% |
| 2022 | $20.2B | $1.9B | 13.3% |
| 2023 | $17.1B | $2.8B | 11.2% |
| 2024 | $16.8B | $2.5B | 16.1% |
| 2025 | $16.4B | $1.6B | 14.3% |
Where the revenue comes from
Estee Lauder Companies · by regions, 2026
All other countries$7.4B49%
Mainland China$3.9B26%
U.S.$3.7B25%
Kimberly-Clark · by segments, 2025
NA$10.8B65%
IPC$5.7B35%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open EL in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Estee Lauder Companies or Kimberly-Clark?
Estee Lauder Companies (EL), at $38.1B against $32.2B.
Which grows faster, EL or KMB?
Estee Lauder Companies: revenue grew +6.3% over the last year, against +0.6%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.