Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.030-2.230 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.170. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.8 billion-$15.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $15.0 billion.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Raymond James Financial upgraded 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. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $113.00 price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $124.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $104.00.

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Down 19.2%

Estee Lauder Companies stock opened at $96.62 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.82 billion, a PE ratio of -37.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $109.04 and a 200-day moving average of $97.31. Estee Lauder Companies has a twelve month low of $48.37 and a twelve month high of $121.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 6.44% and a positive return on equity of 14.92%. The business had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.62 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.230 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Estee Lauder Companies will post 1.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Estee Lauder Companies News Summary

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EL. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 4.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 25,898 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,177 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 6,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $462,000 after buying an additional 1,749 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 4,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $305,000 after purchasing an additional 898 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 23.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,000 after buying an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 55.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 13,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,093,000 after buying an additional 4,826 shares in the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.