COMPARE · Data as of August 24, 2026
BTI vs EL
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. BTI scored 51.8, EL scored 37.6 — BTI leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. EL's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but BTI's are as of December 2025 — a 6-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
BTI
British American Tobacco p.l.c.
51.8
$56.71 · $122.2B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
14.2
BTI leads
EL
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
37.6
$104.13 · $37.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- Fastest growthEL+5.0%
- Strongest balance sheetBTI0.72
- Highest qualityBTI70 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
BTI
stronger →← stronger
EL
70
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
52
42
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
36
56
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
29
BTI is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
BTI
EL
—
FCF
$1.3bC+
-1.0%D+
Rev
+5.0%C+
0.72B
D/E
2.43C
14.2xA-
P/E
—
1.48B
PEG
2.12C
—
P/S
2.5xC+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
BTI
EL
—
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
68% above
—
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~25%/yr
—
1-yr DCF upside
-51%
—
5-yr DCF upside
-40%
—
10-yr DCF upside
-22%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
BTI
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Foreign reporter (GBP)
EL
Why this score
- Cut its dividend
The companies
BTIBritish American Tobacco p.l.c.
Why now
Tobacco · market cap $122.2b. 16% off the 52-week high of $67.30. 6 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $70.20 (implying +24% upside).
Moat
Net margin 30% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 16% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. $122.2b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Dividend payout 85% of earnings on a 5.9% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut.
ELThe Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Why now
Household & Personal Products · market cap $37.7b. 14% off the 52-week high of $121.64. 26 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $105.85 (implying +2% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
D/E 2.43 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Net margin 1.2% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE 5% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where BTI and EL diverge
On the headline score the gap is 14.2 points in favor of BTI. The widest single difference is Value, where BTI leads by 27.0 points.
- ValueBTI 55.6 · EL 28.6BTI +27.0
- QualityBTI 70.0 · EL 51.6BTI +18.4
- GrowthBTI 41.7 · EL 36.2BTI +5.5
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.