Zacks Research Upgrades Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) to Strong-Buy

Posted by Brian Himes on May 14th, 2026

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL – Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

EL has been the topic of several other research reports. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $120.00 to $92.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $124.00 to $108.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $98.00 to $99.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $101.00.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Estee Lauder Companies

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Down 3.2%

EL opened at $82.16 on Tuesday. Estee Lauder Companies has a fifty-two week low of $62.03 and a fifty-two week high of $121.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.27. The company has a fifty day moving average of $79.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $95.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -117.38, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.22.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.25. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 1.67% and a positive return on equity of 20.66%. The company had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.330-2.430 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Estee Lauder Companies will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Estee Lauder Companies

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. REAP Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised 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 purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 55.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Estee Lauder Companies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.