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 (EPS) guidance of 2.030-2.230 for the period, compared to the consensus 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.

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Up 3.0%

Estee Lauder Companies stock opened at $99.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.89 billion, a P/E ratio of -199.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.14. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $109.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $97.40. Estee Lauder Companies has a twelve month low of $48.37 and a twelve month high of $121.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. Estee Lauder Companies had a positive return on equity of 17.59% and a negative net margin of 1.21%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.62 EPS. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.230 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Estee Lauder Companies will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Estee Lauder Companies in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a “hold” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut Estee Lauder Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $83.00 to $70.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Citigroup raised Estee Lauder Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $131.00 to $121.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, January 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total value of $476,971.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 34,812 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,196,785.96. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 13.05% of the company’s stock.

More Estee Lauder Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat expectations (EPS $0.89 vs. $0.84) and management raised full?year sales/earnings guidance, supported by stronger China sales and progress on the “Beauty Reimagined” turnaround — a core reason buyers are returning. Business Wire: Fiscal Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Major brokers showed support: Citigroup upgraded EL to “buy” with a $120 PT and Bank of America reiterated a Buy with re?rating potential, signaling conviction among some institutional analysts that fundamentals and margin upside remain attractive. Benzinga: Citigroup Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Company announced a quarterly dividend (record Feb 27; pay Mar 16), which supports income investors and can help stabilize shares amid the volatility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed price targets but left constructive ratings: JPMorgan cut its PT to $121 while staying “overweight” and Wells Fargo lowered its PT to $105 with an “equal weight” call — suggesting cautious optimism but reduced upside assumptions. Benzinga: PT Changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed “market perform” with a $105 target, reflecting mixed analyst views on short?term growth versus longer?term restructuring benefits. Benzinga: Telsey Reaffirmation
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned tariffs will shave roughly $100M off full?year profitability (mostly in H2), pressuring margins and prompting talk of potential pricing actions — a clear near?term headwind. CNBC: Tariff Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the beat, the company’s cautious guidance and restructuring costs led to a heavy sell?off (shares fell sharply earlier on the outlook and restructuring impact), showing how sensitive EL is to near?term profit expectations. Investopedia: What Dragged Shares Lower
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and commentary questioning EL’s valuation and the pace of the turnaround have amplified volatility — several headlines ask whether to trim positions after the drop, keeping sentiment fragile in the near term. Forbes: Should You Cut Your Position?

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EL. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 28.6% during the third quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 23.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 997 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its position in Estee Lauder Companies by 59.5% in the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,449 shares of the company’s stock valued at $216,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Snowden Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $217,000. 55.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.