** Berenberg expects the global beauty market growth to slow in 2025, seeing headwinds from China to continue to weigh on prestige skincare and expecting mass beauty categories to generate modest growth, driven by lower industry pricing
** In 2025, the broker expects the global beauty market to grow 3.7%, well below the four-year average of 6.9% and sees growth moderating in North America and Europe from mid-to high-single-digit levels in 2024 to 3.3% in 2025
** It anticipates the global beauty market will return to its historical 4.5% average annual growth rate in 2026
** Berenberg says Beiersdorf BEIG.DE, L'Oreal OREP.PA, Galderma GALD.S, Coty COTY.N and Unilever ULVR.L are its top performers in the beauty market for 2025, and views them as better positioned, more agile and possessing the greatest managerial and operational strength
** The brokerage starts coverage of Rabanne owner Puig PUIGb.MC with 'hold' with the co's operational flexibility seen as a risk, and starts Coty with 'buy', considering the upcoming investor day on June 18 as a key catalyst for the stock
** It also cuts L'Oreal to 'hold' from 'buy', as it believes the global beauty market backdrop tilts risks to the downside for the company
** Beiersdorf remains the broker's 'top pick'; Berenberg considers the co's ability to outperform its industry through its strong pipeline of breakthrough products and geographic expansion to be underappreciated
COMPANY
RATING
OLD RATING
PT
OLD PT
Beiersdorf
Buy
Buy
EUR 165.00
EUR 167.00
Coty
Buy
N/A
USD 7.50
N/A
Galderma
Buy
Buy
CHF 117.10
CHF 115.40
Unilever
Buy
Buy
GBP 57.50
GBP 56.40
Estée Lauder
Hold
Hold
USD 60.00
USD 65.00
Henkel
Hold
Hold
EUR 86.00
EUR 88.00
L'Oreal
Hold
Buy
EUR 385.00
EUR 454.00
Procter&Gamble
Hold
Hold
USD 157.00
USD 165.00
Puig
Hold
N/A
EUR 19.90
N/A
(Reporting by Joao Manuel Vicente Mauricio; Editing by Amanda Cooper)