Estee Lauder Companies Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:EL)

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Investors acquired 7,138 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 46% compared to the typical daily volume of 4,904 call options.

Key Estee Lauder Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose approximately 6% year over year to $3.64 billion, exceeding the $3.55 billion analyst consensus. Organic sales increased 5%, with growth across all geographic regions. Estée Lauder fiscal 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings reached $0.39 per share, beating expectations of $0.32 and rising sharply from $0.09 a year earlier. Full-year adjusted EPS increased to $2.51 from $1.51. Estée Lauder earnings and revenue beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained its fiscal 2027 organic sales-growth target of 3% to 5% and raised its adjusted operating-margin outlook to 12.7%–13.5%, signaling confidence that sales momentum and cost controls will improve profitability. Estée Lauder forecasts annual profit above estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The restructuring program is outperforming expectations, with benefits at the high end of the company’s prior range and an estimated net workforce reduction of about 10,000 positions. Stronger China demand and premium fragrance spending also supported the outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $3.10–$3.35 brackets the $3.18 consensus estimate, while projected revenue of $15.5–$15.8 billion begins at consensus.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent institutional positioning was mixed: Bank of America and BlackRock added shares, while FMR, Schroders, Victory Capital and DZ Bank reduced holdings. The median analyst price target reported by Quiver Quantitative is $90, though published targets range from $75 to $110.

Estee Lauder Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EL traded up $14.23 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $98.50. 8,436,692 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,919,574. The company has a market capitalization of $35.64 billion, a P/E ratio of -140.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Estee Lauder Companies has a 52-week low of $66.22 and a 52-week high of $121.64. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $84.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.79.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.07. Estee Lauder Companies had a positive return on equity of 20.66% and a negative net margin of 1.67%.The business had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.09 earnings per share. Estee Lauder Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.100-3.350 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Estee Lauder Companies will post 2.41 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $105.00 to $90.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Zacks Research lowered shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $99.00 to $94.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $96.84.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Estee Lauder Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt bought a new stake in Estee Lauder Companies in the second quarter worth $135,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the second quarter worth about $11,558,000. Ally Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,684,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $280,000. Finally, Flossbach Von Storch SE purchased a new stake in Estee Lauder Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $501,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.15% of the company’s stock.

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.