Insight: COTY Accelerates Gucci Exit; Receives ~ $400M of Consideration

Research evidence excerpt

Insight: COTY Accelerates Gucci Exit; Receives ~ $400M of Consideration

e transaction marks another

step in Coty's broader strategic reset under Interim CEO Markus Strobel. The early transition is

not entirely surprising, as management previously indicated it would be open to an accelerated

Gucci exit if it created shareholder value. Recent actions have included a leadership reorganization,

operating model simplification, Board refreshment, and a sharper focus on core brands, market

share recovery, and resource allocation. Against that backdrop, the agreement appears consistent

with management's efforts to streamline the portfolio, enhance financial flexibility, and concentrate

investment behind priority growth drivers. The proceeds also provide additional capacity for debt

reduction, while supporting reinvestment across Coty's core prestige portfolio.

More Favorable Outcome Than a Standard License Expiration: While the loss of Gucci Beauty

(COTY's 3rd-largest fragrance franchise) remains a meaningful LT portfolio headwind, we view

the announced transaction as a more favorable outcome than a standard 2028 expiration. The

agreement provides COTY with an upfront cash payment that can be redeployed toward debt

reduction and investment behind core brands, while also resolving ongoing litigation. While the

transaction does not eliminate the future revenue gap created by Gucci's departure, COTY only

forfeits the final year of sales (we est Gucci Beauty represents ~MSD% of Coty's total sales), while

the consideration received helps offset the associated headwind.

Debt Paydown Remains Key Priority: COTY ended the March Qtr at 3.4x net debt/adj EBITDA (~

$2.9B net debt) and continues to target levg of ~2x over time, supporting its path toward an IG