AstraZeneca vs L'Oreal: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
AstraZeneca reported $58.7B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.2B of net income. L'Oreal reported ~$49.8B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$6.9B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
AstraZeneca
- Latest revenue
- $58.7B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $10.2B
- Net margin
- 17.4%
- Revenue growth
- +11.0% a year, FY2016–FY2025
L'Oreal
- Latest revenue
- ~$49.8B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$6.9B
- Net margin
- 13.9%
- Revenue growth
- +8.1% a year, FY2021–FY2025
Financial summary
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca's Total Revenue fell from $33.6 billion in 2011 to a trough of $22.1 billion in 2018 as Seroquel, Nexium and Crestor lost exclusivity. Under Pascal Soriot the company redirected spending into oncology and specialty medicines, and revenue then grew every year to $58.7 billion in 2025, with profit for the year of $10.2 billion and gross profit of $48.1 billion on cost of sales of $10.6 billion. R&D investment reached $14.2 billion in 2025, about a quarter of Total Revenue, and the $39 billion Alexion acquisition added a rare disease business the company did not have before 2021.
L'Oreal
L'Oréal's 2025 sales reached ~$49.8 billion (€44.05 billion), up 4.0% like-for-like and 1.3% as reported because of currency headwinds. Gross profit was ~$37 billion (€32.74 billion) (74.3% of sales), operating profit ~$10 billion (€8.89 billion) (20.2%) and net profit after non-controlling interests ~$6.93 billion (€6.13 billion). Net cash flow rose 7.8% to ~$8.14 billion (€7.2 billion). Growth sped up in 2026: first-quarter sales were ~$13.7 billion (€12.15 billion) (+7.6% like-for-like), and first-half sales were ~$26.9 billion (€23.77 billion), up 6.8% like-for-like and 5.8% reported. First-half operating profit rose 6.8% to ~$5.72 billion (€5.06 billion), a record 21.3% margin, and net profit excluding non-recurring items rose 4.7% to ~$4.47 billion (€3.96 billion). On 28 September 2026 L'Oréal's market value was about $232 billion (€205 billion), with the share near €380.
Revenue and profit by year
AstraZeneca
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $58.7B | $10.2B | 17.4% | +8.6% | Source |
| FY2024 | $54.1B | $7B | 13.0% | +18.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $45.8B | $6B | 13.0% | +3.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | $44.4B | $3.3B | 7.4% | +18.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $37.4B | $115M | 0.3% | +40.6% | Source |
| FY2020 | $26.6B | $3.1B | 11.8% | +9.2% | Source |
| FY2019 | $24.4B | $1.2B | 5.0% | +10.4% | Source |
| FY2018 | $22.1B | $2B | 9.3% | -1.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $22.5B | $2.9B | 12.8% | -2.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $23B | $3.4B | 14.8% | — | Source |
L'Oreal
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$49.8B | ~$6.9B | 13.9% | +1.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$49.1B | ~$7.2B | 14.7% | +5.6% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$46.5B | ~$7B | 15.0% | +7.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$43.2B | ~$6.4B | 14.9% | +18.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$36.5B | ~$5.2B | 14.2% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
AstraZeneca
- Product Sales~95%
Product Sales were $55,573 million in 2025, up 9%, or about 95% of Total Revenue. This is the direct sale of AstraZeneca-manufactured prescription medicines to wholesalers, pharmacies, hospitals and government buyers. Oncology was the largest therapy area at roughly $25.6 billion of revenue, up 17%, followed by Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, with Respiratory and Immunology and Rare Disease making up most of the balance.
- Alliance Revenue~5%
Alliance Revenue was $3,067 million in 2025, up 39%, or about 5% of Total Revenue. It is mostly AstraZeneca's share of profits on co-commercialised medicines, led by the Enhertu and datopotamab deruxtecan antibody-drug conjugates developed with Daiichi Sankyo, plus Tezspire with Amgen and Lynparza and Koselugo with Merck in certain markets.
- Collaboration Revenue<1%
Collaboration Revenue was $99 million in 2025, down 89% from $923 million in 2024, so less than 1% of Total Revenue. It covers upfront fees, milestone payments and royalties on out-licensed assets, and moves sharply year to year because it depends on when individual deals are signed.
L'Oreal
- Consumer Products36.5%
~$18.2 billion (€16.09 billion) of 2025 sales. Mass-market brands L'Oréal Paris, Maybelline New York, Garnier, NYX Professional Makeup and Essie, sold through supermarkets, drugstores, mass retailers and e-commerce.
- L'Oréal Luxe35.4%
~$17.6 billion (€15.60 billion) of 2025 sales. Prestige brands including Lancôme, YSL Beauty, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Kiehl's, Aesop, Prada and Valentino, sold through department stores, Sephora-type specialists, travel retail and boutiques. Creed and the Kering licences joined from April 2026.
- Dermatological Beauty16.4%
~$8.14 billion (€7.20 billion) of 2025 sales. CeraVe, La Roche-Posay, Vichy and SkinCeuticals, sold mainly through pharmacies, health channels and online with dermatologist recommendation.
- Professional Products11.7%
~$5.83 billion (€5.16 billion) of 2025 sales. Salon brands Kérastase, L'Oréal Professionnel, Redken and Matrix, sold to hair salons and through their online channels.
Business model and strategy
AstraZeneca
How it makes money
AstraZeneca discovers, develops and sells prescription medicines, and the economics turn on patent-protected pricing funded by heavy research spending. It invested $14.2 billion in research and development in 2025, about a quarter of Total Revenue, and reported gross profit of $48.1 billion on cost of sales of $10.6 billion.
Growth strategy
AstraZeneca's growth strategy relies on extending its existing cancer drugs into earlier stages of treatment, before the cancer spreads, which increases the number of patients who can be treated. The $39 billion acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals in 2021 also took it into rare diseases, where drugs treat small patient populations, carry high prices and face little generic competition.
Competitive advantage
AstraZeneca's main advantage is the depth of its oncology portfolio and the Phase III evidence behind it. Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Enhertu, Lynparza and Calquence each rest on trials that changed treatment practice, and the company had more than 100 Phase III studies running at the end of 2025 after 16 positive Phase III readouts during the year.
L'Oreal
How it makes money
L'Oréal makes money by developing, manufacturing and marketing beauty products that it sells to retailers, pharmacies, salons, travel retail and directly online.
Growth strategy
L'Oréal grows through innovation, acquisitions, licences and new markets. Recent deals include Aesop (2023, about $2.5 billion), a roughly 20% stake in Galderma, and Kering Beauté (2026, ~$4.52 billion (€4 billion)), which brought Creed plus 50-year licences for Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Gucci.
Competitive advantage
L'Oréal's edge comes from three things competitors rarely combine: a portfolio covering mass, luxury, dermatological and salon beauty; a research organisation of roughly 4,000 people that files about 500 patents a year; and distribution in about 150 countries across every channel. Because beauty is its only business, capital and talent are not split with food or household goods, unlike Unilever or Procter & Gamble.
Questions about AstraZeneca vs L'Oreal
Which company has higher revenue — AstraZeneca PLC or L'Oréal SA?
AstraZeneca PLC reported $58.7B (FY2025), while L'Oréal SA reported ~$49.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, AstraZeneca PLC is the larger business, with L'Oréal SA reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of AstraZeneca PLC vs L'Oréal SA?
AstraZeneca PLC's market capitalisation stands at $254.6B, while L'Oréal SA's is $204.9B. AstraZeneca PLC carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to L'Oréal SA.
Which is more financially efficient — AstraZeneca PLC or L'Oréal SA?
AstraZeneca PLC generates $611k / employee in revenue per employee, while L'Oréal SA generates $524k / employee. AstraZeneca PLC shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do AstraZeneca PLC and L'Oréal SA make money?
AstraZeneca PLC and L'Oréal SA generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. AstraZeneca PLC: AstraZeneca discovers, develops and sells prescription medicines, and the economics turn on patent-protected pricing funded by heavy research spending. L'Oréal SA: L'Oréal makes money by developing, manufacturing and marketing beauty products that it sells to retailers, pharmacies, salons, travel retail and directly online.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — AstraZeneca PLC or L'Oréal SA?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, AstraZeneca PLC trades at 4.3x P/S and L'Oréal SA at 4.1x P/S. AstraZeneca PLC commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to L'Oréal SA. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is AstraZeneca PLC bigger than L'Oréal SA?
By last reported revenue, AstraZeneca PLC ($58.7B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to L'Oréal SA (~$49.8B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the AstraZeneca vs L'Oreal overview