Estee Lauder Companies Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:EL)

Posted by Ethan Ryder on Feb 10th, 2026

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 7,383 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 41% compared to the average volume of 5,237 put options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $124.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $76.00 to $115.00 in a report on Monday, October 13th. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $106.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $103.36.

View Our Latest Report on Estee Lauder Companies

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Up 4.6%

NYSE:EL traded up $4.54 on Tuesday, hitting $103.55. The stock had a trading volume of 1,114,014 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,199,836. Estee Lauder Companies has a 1 year low of $48.37 and a 1 year high of $121.64. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $109.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $97.60. The stock has a market cap of $37.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -206.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.36.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion during 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.62 EPS. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.230 EPS. Analysts predict that Estee Lauder Companies will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Estee Lauder Companies’s payout ratio is -280.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 13.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Estee Lauder Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 556.8% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,554,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,570,000 after purchasing an additional 1,317,473 shares in the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $337,000. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Estee Lauder Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $331,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 539.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 229,749 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,245,000 after buying an additional 193,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Waverton Investment Management Ltd grew its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 50.1% in the 2nd quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 151,575 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,247,000 after buying an additional 50,625 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.15% of the company’s stock.

Estee Lauder Companies News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Sector rotation into consumer staples is drawing investor interest and Zacks lists EL among five staples “to buy,” supporting demand for the stock. 5 Consumer Staples Giants to Buy Amid the Sector’s Strong Momentum
Positive Sentiment: Citigroup upgraded EL (coverage note reported), which provides a supportive institutional endorsement amid mixed analyst activity. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Upgraded at Citigroup
Positive Sentiment: Estée Lauder is due to pay a $0.35 dividend, which can attract income-focused investors and underpin the share price. Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Is Due To Pay A Dividend Of $0.35
Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $105 — a modest reduction that stays near the trading range and is unlikely to dramatically change the near-term view. Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Price Target to $105.00
Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target to $121; still above current levels, the move signals tempered upside expectations rather than a bearish reassessment. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Price Target to $121.00
Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its target from $130 to $115 and moved to a hold — a downgrade in optimism that can apply selling pressure. TD Cowen Lowers Price Target
Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowered its target to $94 and put an equal-weight rating, which is explicitly below the current price and could weigh on sentiment. Barclays Lowers Price Target to $94
Negative Sentiment: HSBC downgraded EL from buy to hold with a $106 target — another large shop trimming its stance and reducing conviction among growth-oriented buyers. Finviz Analyst Notes
Negative Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer questioning EL’s momentum can amplify short-term selling pressure from retail investors. Jim Cramer Commentary

Estee Lauder Companies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.