Compare StocksEL vs NOW

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) vs ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW)

EL
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
$79.30
VS
NOW
ServiceNow, Inc.
$91.16

Rewards

EL
  • Gross margin of 74.7% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
NOW
  • Gross margin of 76.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Free cash flow has grown at a 27.8% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.22 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.

Risks

EL
  • ROIC has declined by 14.4 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
  • Despite buyback spending, shares outstanding increased in 3 out of 4 years — stock-based compensation is offsetting repurchases.
  • FCF yield of 6.3% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
NOW
  • Despite buyback spending, shares outstanding increased in 3 out of 3 years — stock-based compensation is offsetting repurchases.
  • FCF yield of 5.4% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
  • PEG ratio of 23.59 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.

Key Valuation Metrics

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EL
NOW
Valuation
$1.81B
Free Cash Flow
$5.11B
6.30%
FCF Yield
5.43%
N/A
Trailing P/E
54.26
25.86
Forward P/E
18.22
Quality & Moat
13.16%
ROIC
10.39%
-28.37%
ROE
14.90%
74.65%
Gross Margin
76.56%
1.42
PEG Ratio
23.59
Balance Sheet Safety
2.33
Debt / Equity
0.21
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
2.63
Net Debt / EBITDA
-0.95
1.77%
Dividend Yield
N/A
EL: 3Ties: 2NOW: 5
ELNOW

Historical Fundamentals

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EL

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

NOW

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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EL
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-2.23B
Δ Market Cap
$-50.91B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
NOW
$16.65
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$4.90B
Δ Market Cap
+$81.66B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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EL
77.1% Margin of Safety
Price is 77.1% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $79.30
Fair Value: $346.25
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
NOW
9.7% Overvalued
Price is 9.7% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $91.16
Fair Value: $83.12
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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EL

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $79?

+7.2%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate

Market pricing in significantly higher growth than history — aggressive.

NOW

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $91?

+20.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +6.2%

The market implies +20.8% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +6.2%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

Economic Moat Score

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EL
36/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though revenue predictability shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
NOW
61/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving roic consistency would strengthen the moat.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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EL
-3.21
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
NOW
-2.87
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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EL
Insiders 1.6%Institutions 96.0%Retail & Other 2.4%
No. of Institutional Holders1,318
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
NOW
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 90.5%Retail & Other 9.3%
No. of Institutional Holders3,112
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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EL
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
FRIBOURG PAUL J
Director
$2.96M
@ $65.00 · 2025-02-07
FRIBOURG PAUL J
Director
$5.72M
@ $65.80 · 2025-02-06
SHRIVASTAVA AKHIL
Chief Financial Officer
$46,053
@ $65.79 · 2025-02-05
FRIBOURG PAUL J
Director
$5.02M
@ $64.48 · 2024-11-19
FRIBOURG PAUL J
Director
$9.86M
@ $64.46 · 2024-11-18
SHRIVASTAVA AKHIL
Chief Financial Officer
$65,000
@ $65.00 · 2024-11-14
FRIBOURG PAUL J
Director
$10.05M
@ $63.98 · 2024-11-14
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
NOW
1
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $3.00M
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$3.00M
@ $104.60 · 2026-02-27
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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EL
0
Sells (3M)
10
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $1.02B
LA LANDE RASHIDA K
General Counsel
$151,498
@ $94.45 · 2025-11-26
LAUDER JANE A
Director and Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$1.68M
@ $94.38 · 2025-11-26
WEBSTER MERIDITH P
Officer
$476,971
@ $87.84 · 2025-11-18
STERNLICHT BARRY S
Director
$364,749
@ $91.83 · 2025-11-11
LEONARD A LAUDER 2013 REVOCABLE TRUST
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$249.91M
@ $89.70 · 2025-11-06
LAL 2015 ELF TRUST
Trustee
$508.60M
@ $89.70 · 2025-11-06
EVELYN H. LAUDER 2012 MARITAL TRUST TWO
Trustee
$255.22M
@ $89.70 · 2025-11-06
FORESTER LYNN
Director
$339,288
@ $91.65 · 2025-08-29
LA LANDE RASHIDA K
General Counsel
$589,594
@ $91.88 · 2025-08-28
LAUDER JANE A
Director and Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$1.39M
@ $88.23 · 2025-08-21
FREDA FABRIZIO
Chief Executive Officer
$743,259
@ $67.76 · 2024-11-01
FORESTER LYNN
Director
$364,143
@ $93.61 · 2024-08-23
LAUDER JANE A
Officer, Director and Beneficial Owner
$1.82M
@ $121.26 · 2024-05-30
JUEPTNER PETER
Officer
$1.67M
@ $130.62 · 2024-05-22
TRAVIS TRACEY THOMAS
Chief Financial Officer
$1.97M
@ $135.73 · 2024-05-15
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
NOW
5
Sells (3M)
48
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $28.54M
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$799,868
@ $89.60 · 2026-04-24
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$376,142
@ $101.77 · 2026-02-23
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$1.02M
@ $105.93 · 2026-02-18
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$147,994
@ $105.71 · 2026-02-13
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$151,755
@ $101.17 · 2026-02-12
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$352,750
@ $850.00 · 2025-12-05
JACKSON LAWRENCE
Director
$214,708
@ $810.22 · 2025-11-28
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$336,936
@ $808.00 · 2025-11-28
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$242,400
@ $808.00 · 2025-11-28
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$249,353
@ $817.55 · 2025-11-18
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$160,155
@ $838.51 · 2025-11-18
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$200,549
@ $839.12 · 2025-11-18
TZITZON NICHOLAS
Officer
$431,736
@ $827.08 · 2025-11-18
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$235,894
@ $842.48 · 2025-11-14
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$52,848
@ $852.39 · 2025-11-13
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$56,257
@ $852.38 · 2025-11-13
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$164,997
@ $863.86 · 2025-11-10
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$222,012
@ $863.86 · 2025-11-10
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$1.00M
@ $915.11 · 2025-08-29
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$5.34M
@ $916.63 · 2025-08-28
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$1.30M
@ $895.32 · 2025-08-20
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$1.50M
@ $884.26 · 2025-08-20
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$1.43M
@ $900.00 · 2025-08-19
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$1.53M
@ $866.45 · 2025-08-18
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$1.35M
@ $866.45 · 2025-08-18
TZITZON NICHOLAS
Officer
$1.49M
@ $866.45 · 2025-08-18
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$238,496
@ $851.77 · 2025-08-15
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$258,000
@ $860.00 · 2025-08-14
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$72,288
@ $860.57 · 2025-08-13
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$57,658
@ $860.57 · 2025-08-13
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$256,490
@ $878.39 · 2025-08-08
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$225,746
@ $878.39 · 2025-08-08
JACKSON LAWRENCE
Director
$749,805
@ $990.50 · 2025-07-29
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$341,631
@ $965.06 · 2025-07-16
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$250,950
@ $1050.00 · 2025-07-03
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$283,310
@ $1011.82 · 2025-06-03
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$250,267
@ $1009.14 · 2025-06-02
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$2.07M
@ $1012.01 · 2025-05-30
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$147,900
@ $1020.00 · 2025-05-30
TZITZON NICHOLAS
Officer
$1.19M
@ $1020.00 · 2025-05-30
BRIGGS TERESA
Director
$216,913
@ $1013.61 · 2025-05-27
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$433,825
@ $1013.61 · 2025-05-27
LUDDY FREDERIC B
Director
$428,000
@ $1000.00 · 2025-05-23
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$121,570
@ $1030.25 · 2025-05-19
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$83,450
@ $1030.25 · 2025-05-19
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$96,844
@ $1030.26 · 2025-05-19
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$310,326
@ $1034.42 · 2025-05-15
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$85,932
@ $1023.00 · 2025-05-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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EL
FearGreed
😐Neutral(41/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
NOW
FearGreed
😨Fear(33/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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EL
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (41)
NOW
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (33)
View EL Full AnalysisView NOW Full Analysis
EL vs NOW: Which Is the Better Buy? | SafetyMargin.io