L'Oreal(US:LRLCY) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-07-30 08:27Core Viewpoint - L'Oréal's second-quarter financial results disappointed investors, with a sales decline and lower-than-expected comparable sales growth, despite exceeding profit expectations [1][2]. Financial Performance - Second-quarter sales decreased by 1.3% year-on-year to €10.74 billion, with comparable sales growth at 2.4%, below the analyst expectation of 2.9% [2]. - For the first half of 2025, net profit (excluding non-recurring items) was €3.78 billion, a 1% year-on-year increase, and operating profit margin improved by 30 basis points [2]. Core Business Analysis - The professional products division led growth with a 6.5% increase, while the high-end cosmetics division grew only 2%, lagging behind the mass market (2.8%) and active health cosmetics (3.1%) [2]. - The fragrance category stood out with double-digit growth, significantly exceeding the market average of 7% [8]. Regional Performance - North Asia, particularly China and South Korea, along with travel retail channels, were major contributors to the sales decline, with North Asia's sales down 1.1% year-on-year [2][5]. - Emerging markets showed strong growth, with South Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa achieving 10.4% growth, and Latin America at 10.3% [6]. Tariff Concerns - The European Union's decision to impose a 15% tariff on cosmetics imported from the U.S. poses a significant risk, as approximately 30% of L'Oréal's U.S. sales depend on imports [2][6]. - The CEO expressed serious concerns and plans to lobby for exemptions, while also considering potential price increases or shifting production to U.S. factories [7][6]. Growth Strategy - Despite the challenges, the company remains optimistic about the second half of the year, planning to launch new products like Prada men's perfume and Miu Miu perfume as part of a "beauty stimulus plan" [8].