Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.05 EPS

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05, Briefing.com reports. Estee Lauder Companies had a positive return on equity of 14.92% and a negative net margin of 6.44%.The business had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.62 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Estee Lauder Companies updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.030-2.230 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Estee Lauder Companies’ conference call:

• Estée Lauder raised its fiscal 2026 outlook after a strong Q2 — 4% organic sales growth, 43% EPS growth, and updated full‑year guidance of +1% to +3% organic sales and diluted EPS of $2.05–$2.25.
• Mainland China and digital channels outperformed, with double‑digit growth in Mainland China, high‑single‑digit growth in Hainan, notable market‑share gains across categories, and online sales set to exceed last year’s ~31% reported sales mix.
• Management accelerated innovation and go‑to‑market execution — targeting at least 25% of sales from innovation and increasing sub‑one‑year launches to 19%, citing wins like Estée Lauder’s Double Wear concealer and strong momentum for The Ordinary.
• Transformation costs and operational changes present near‑term headwinds — the company has recorded $904 million of cumulative restructuring charges and expects some short‑term cost pressure as it migrates to the new One ELC/Accenture enterprise services model.

Estee Lauder Companies Price Performance

EL stock opened at $96.62 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -37.45, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $109.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. Estee Lauder Companies has a 12-month low of $48.37 and a 12-month high of $121.64.

Estee Lauder Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Estee Lauder Companies’s payout ratio is presently -54.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EL has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group upped their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $105.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Estee Lauder Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $104.00.

Key Stories Impacting Estee Lauder Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Estee Lauder Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and raised sales outlook: EL reported $0.89 EPS vs. $0.84 consensus and revenue of $4.23B (up 5.6% YoY). Management raised its sales forecast and highlighted improving China trends and progress on its “Beauty Reimagined” turnaround, supporting medium-term recovery. Company Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and re-rating potential: Bank of America reiterated a Buy and highlighted valuation upside (~30% re-rating potential), while other firms (RBC) kept positive views — these provide a buyer base beneath the stock. TipRanks / BofA Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend announced: EL declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (annualized ~1.4% yield), a modest positive for income-focused holders but unlikely to shift sentiment materially. (Company release)
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic pivot to premium customers: Management and industry reports note a shift to higher‑income consumers and premium price tiers (more marketing, luxury positioning) — this could help margins over time but raises near-term marketing spend. PYMNTS / Reuters summary
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff headwind: Management said tariffs will shave roughly $100M off full‑year profitability (mostly in H2), and is considering pricing actions — a clear near-term earnings risk that helped drive selling pressure. CNBC Article
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY profit guidance disappointed: EL set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.03–$2.23, which markets viewed as light relative to expectations (consensus ~ $2.17 midpoint) — investors punished the stock despite the beat. Investopedia
• Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and near-term profit impact: Reports and commentary note restructuring costs and one-time items reduced GAAP profitability this quarter (and pressured near-term margins), amplifying investor concern about immediate cash returns. Barron’s

Insider Activity

In other Estee Lauder Companies news, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total value of $476,971.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 34,812 shares in the company, valued at $3,196,785.96. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 13.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,291 shares of the company’s stock worth $554,000 after purchasing an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Shay Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $463,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the second quarter valued at about $447,000. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 31.9% in the third quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,594 shares of the company’s stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 24.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 4,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 898 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 55.15% of the company’s stock.

Estee Lauder Companies Company Profile

Estée Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE: EL) is a global leader in prestige beauty that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Founded in 1946 by Estée Lauder, the company has grown from a small family business into a multinational consumer-products enterprise headquartered in New York City. Its activities span product research and development, brand and product marketing, manufacturing and global distribution across multiple retail channels.

The company’s portfolio includes a mix of legacy and prestige brands that target different consumer segments and price points, with well-known names such as Estée Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer and Jo Malone among others.