Core Viewpoint - L'Oréal is transitioning from a growth myth back to operational reality, reflecting a slowdown in the global beauty market, with two consecutive quarters of underperformance against expectations [1] Financial Performance - In Q3, L'Oréal reported sales of €10.33 billion, a 0.5% year-on-year increase, reversing a 1.3% decline in the previous quarter, but still below analyst expectations of €10.44 billion [1] - Same-store sales grew by 4.2%, an improvement from 2.4% in Q2, yet it marked the second consecutive quarter below market expectations of 4.85% [2] Market Reactions - Following the earnings report, L'Oréal's stock initially rose by 2% but quickly fell, with intraday losses reaching up to 6% [3] - Investor concerns are rising regarding the quality of L'Oréal's growth, indicating that the recovery is uneven [4] Regional Performance - North Asia emerged as a significant highlight, with Q3 same-store sales achieving a 4.7% growth, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of 3.2%, following a decline of over 11% in Q2 [5] - The Chinese market recorded moderate single-digit growth, marking the first positive growth in Q3 over two years, driven by a recovery in the high-end skincare market [6] - In contrast, North America experienced a notable slowdown, with Q3 sales down 4.3% and same-store sales only increasing by 1.4%, far below the expected 4.4% [7] Business Segment Performance - The mass cosmetics division saw a sales increase of 0.4%, with same-store sales growing by 3.8%, slightly above the previous quarter's performance [9] - The high-end cosmetics division experienced a 1.5% decline, but the drop was more than halved compared to Q2, indicating signs of recovery in high-end consumption [10] - The professional hair products division reported a same-store sales growth of 5.1%, while the skin science and beauty segment remained the fastest-growing, with sales up 6.1% and same-store sales growth of 9.3% [11] Market Outlook - Despite the recovery signals in North Asia, market reactions suggest that L'Oréal's revival has not met confidence expectations [12] - Analysts view Q3 performance as a signal of recovery from recession rather than a transition to prosperity, highlighting structural fatigue in the global cosmetics giant [14]