Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Sets New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday after TD Cowen raised their price target on the stock from $115.00 to $130.00. TD Cowen currently has a hold rating on the stock. Estee Lauder Companies traded as high as $119.75 and last traded at $119.8160, with a volume of 422290 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $117.87.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on EL. Rothschild Redb downgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Argus raised Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Estee Lauder Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $101.78.

Insider Transactions at Estee Lauder Companies

In other news, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total transaction of $364,748.76. Following the transaction, the director 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the business’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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 13.05% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Estee Lauder Companies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EL. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Estee Lauder Companies by 80.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 372 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Asset Dedication LLC increased its stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 258.7% in the second quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 391 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the period. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $103.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $95.27. The company has a market cap of $43.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -46.37, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.15.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.17. Estee Lauder Companies had a positive return on equity of 14.92% and a negative net margin of 6.44%.The firm had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.14 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.900-2.100 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Estee Lauder Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th were given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. Estee Lauder Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently -54.26%.

About Estee Lauder Companies

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.