Innovation fatigue

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Coty(COTY) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-08-21 13:00
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company expects full-year EBITDA to be above $1 billion, despite headwinds from tariffs impacting gross margins [10][71] - The major gap in EBITDA for the full year is driven by tariffs, which if excluded, would result in slightly negative EBITDA [10][71] - Free cash flow is projected to grow in fiscal 2026 [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The prestige fragrance category remains healthy, with low to mid-single-digit growth, while mass fragrance is also performing well [6][19] - The skincare category outperformed the market by 11%, driven mainly by e-commerce, with brands like Lancaster growing significantly in China [25] - The mass fragrance category accounts for approximately 7% of net revenues and is experiencing growth due to the Treatonomics phenomenon [19][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Asian travel retail market is still heavily affected, but the beauty market in China is gradually improving, with prestige beauty showing positive growth [50] - The U.S. market is experiencing increased promotional activities, particularly in consumer beauty and color cosmetics [27][39] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on increasing profitability in the color cosmetics category while managing promotional activities carefully [16][27] - There is a strong emphasis on innovation, with significant product launches planned for the second half of the year, including the Hugo Boss Beyond bottle [12][19] - The company aims to make travel retail a discovery channel for new products, enhancing exclusivity and consumer attraction [48] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the current volatility in the market but expresses confidence in returning to growth in the second half of fiscal 2026 [8][71] - The company is committed to divesting its stake in Velar and is actively contemplating options for this divestiture [61][100] - Management believes that the fragrance market will continue to grow, driven by consumer trends and the increasing importance of scenting [37][96] Other Important Information - The company is implementing a new forecasting tool to improve inventory management and cash flow [81] - The management is focused on cash deleveraging and maintaining a healthy trajectory on cash and refinancing [80][82] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more detail on the second half outlook? - Management expects sequential improvement in Q1 and Q2, with a return to growth in H2 as retailer inventory headwinds ease [6][8] Question: How is the company addressing innovation fatigue in color cosmetics? - The company is shifting focus to traditional advertising for key products while dedicating innovative products to younger consumers [16][17] Question: What is the outlook for travel retail? - Travel retail is being positioned as a discovery channel, with exclusive product launches planned to attract consumers [48][50] Question: How is the company managing promotional activities? - The company is managing promotional activities cautiously to protect brand integrity while exploring new formats like paint sprays [27][39] Question: What are the expectations for refinancing and deleveraging? - The company plans to maintain a secured structure for refinancing and is focused on improving EBITDA trends to support deleveraging [99][100]