Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Sets New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) reached a new 52-week high during trading 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 traded. The stock had previously closed at $117.87.

A number of other research firms have also commented on EL. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Raymond James Financial raised Estee Lauder Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Rothschild Redb downgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $101.78.

Insider Activity at Estee Lauder Companies

In related news, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the firm’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 completion of 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 position. The transaction 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 on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total transaction of $476,971.20. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 13.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 80.6% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the period. Asset Dedication LLC grew its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 258.7% during the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 391 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 282 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the third quarter worth $39,000. 55.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Estee Lauder Companies Trading Up 1.3%

The firm has a market capitalization of $43.04 billion, a PE ratio of -46.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.15. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $103.47 and a 200-day moving average of $95.27.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. Estee Lauder Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -54.26%.

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.