Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. Invests $72.31 Million in The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. $EL

Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. bought a new position in The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 820,569 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $72,308,000. Estee Lauder Companies makes up approximately 1.4% of Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. owned about 0.23% of Estee Lauder Companies at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR lifted its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 7,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $595,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC increased its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 0.4% in the second quarter. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC now owns 28,826 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,329,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC increased its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 2.6% in the second quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 5,007 shares of the company’s stock valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 2.2% during the second quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 5,950 shares of the company’s stock valued at $481,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,815 shares of the company’s stock worth $147,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Performance

Shares of EL stock opened at $104.78 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $98.32 and a 200-day moving average of $91.99. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. has a one year low of $48.37 and a one year high of $110.37. The company has a market cap of $37.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -40.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.15.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.17. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 6.44% and a positive return on equity of 14.92%. The business had revenue of $3.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.14 EPS. The firm’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. Equities research analysts forecast that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 1.36 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th were given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Estee Lauder Companies’s payout ratio is currently -54.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on EL shares. Citigroup upped their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Rothschild & Co Redburn downgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $83.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Argus upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Estee Lauder Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $95.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 13.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.