Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. Boosts Stock Position in The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. $EL

Key Points

• Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. increased its Estee Lauder stake by 36.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 297,309 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,117,878 shares worth about $117.1 million.
• Estee Lauder’s latest quarter topped expectations, with EPS of $0.91 versus the $0.66 consensus and revenue of $3.71 billion, up 4.6% year over year.
• The stock slipped 4.9% despite positive results and dividend news; the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, yielding about 1.8% annually.

Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. lifted its holdings in The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL - Free Report) by 36.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,117,878 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 297,309 shares during the quarter. Estee Lauder Companies accounts for approximately 2.1% of Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. owned 0.31% of Estee Lauder Companies worth $117,064,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of EL. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,823 shares of the company's stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 39.1% during the fourth quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 324 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust boosted its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 3,579 shares of the company's stock worth $375,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,789 shares of the company's stock worth $187,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,806 shares of the company's stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. 55.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Down 4.9%

Shares of EL opened at $76.11 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -108.73, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.22. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. has a 12-month low of $62.57 and a 12-month high of $121.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $78.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $95.19.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.69 billion. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 1.67% and a positive return on equity of 20.66%. The business's revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.65 earnings per share. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.330-2.430 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Estee Lauder Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. Estee Lauder Companies's payout ratio is currently -200.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $113.00 price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $105.00 to $90.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research note on Friday, May 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $100.68.

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.

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