Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Director Paul Fribourg Sells 20,972 Shares of Company Stock

Key Points

• Director Paul Fribourg sold 20,972 Estee Lauder shares for about $2.35 million at an average price of $111.98, reducing his stake by 5.03%; he retained 396,328 shares.
• Estee Lauder beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.72 versus $0.51 forecast and revenue of $3.72 billion, up 6.7% year over year.
• The stock rose 4.3% to $114.78 in Monday trading. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $110.31.

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL - Get Free Report) Director Paul Fribourg sold 20,972 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.98, for a total transaction of $2,348,444.56. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 396,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,380,809.44. This trade represents a 5.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Estee Lauder Companies Trading Up 4.3%

Shares of NYSE EL traded up $4.72 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $114.78. 1,505,274 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,806,429. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $100.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.73. The company has a market capitalization of $41.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 114.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.23. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. has a 12 month low of $66.22 and a 12 month high of $121.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.21. Estee Lauder Companies had a net margin of 2.41% and a return on equity of 26.99%. The company had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.65 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.32 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 3.43 EPS for the current year.

Estee Lauder Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 30th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Estee Lauder Companies's payout ratio is currently 140.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on EL. China Intl Cap upgraded Estee Lauder Companies to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 30th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $108.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Barclays lifted their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $108.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $110.31.

Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 24.9% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 1,137,758 shares of the company's stock valued at $89,826,000 after purchasing an additional 226,888 shares in the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in Estee Lauder Companies in the second quarter valued at $6,750,000. S&CO Inc. bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,586,000. Chapin Davis Inc. bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $9,339,000. Finally, SummitTX Capital L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $7,608,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.15% of the company's stock.

About Estee Lauder Companies

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc is a global prestige beauty company founded in 1946 by Estée and Joseph Lauder. Based in New York City, it develops, markets and sells beauty products under a portfolio of brands, including Estée Lauder, Clinique, M·A·C, La Mer, Aveda and Jo Malone London.

The company's products span skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care. It reaches consumers through department stores, specialty retailers, its own stores and websites, and other online and travel-retail channels.

The Estée Lauder Companies serves customers in more than 150 countries and territories.

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