EL

Helen of Troy Limited HELE reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, wherein both top and bottom lines beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate. While net sales increased, earnings decreased from the year-ago period’s actuals. Management raised net sales guidance for fiscal 2027. Helen of Troy posted adjusted earnings of 17 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 2 cents. However, the bottom line declined 58.5% from 41 cents reported in the year-ago period. Helen of Troy Limited price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Helen of Troy Limited Quote The company reported net sales of $402.1 million, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $375 million. The top line increased 8.2% from $371.7 million posted in the year-ago period, driven by growth across both business segments. Home & Outdoor benefited from strong international demand for packs, successful new product launches and a favorable comparison to the prior year due to tariff-related order timing. Beauty & Wellness growth was led by strong sales of nail care products, fans and thermometers.The consolidated gross margin decreased 110 basis points to 46% in the quarter, primarily due to the net unfavorable impact of tariffs, higher inventory obsolescence costs compared with the prior year and a less favorable customer mix within Home & Outdoor. We estimated a 47.5% gross margin.The consolidated SG&A ratio decreased to 31% from 45.1% posted in the year-ago period, reflecting a $54.9 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a distribution facility, lower outbound freight costs, reduced depreciation and amortization, favorable operating leverage and the absence of $3.5 million in CEO succession costs incurred in the prior-year period.The adjusted operating income remained flat at $16.1 million, while the adjusted operating margin decreased 30 bps to 4%. The margin compression was primarily caused by tariff-related cost pressures, a less favorable inventory obsolescence impact year over year and an unfavorable customer mix within Home & Outdoor, partially offset by reduced outbound freight costs and favorable operating leverage. We expected an adjusted operating margin of 3% for the quarter. Net sales in the Home & Outdoor segment increased 9.5% to $194.9 million, driven by strong international demand for technical, lifestyle and travel packs, new product launches, expanded distribution in the home and...

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Estée Lauder (NYSE:EL) and the best and worst performers in the personal care industry. While personal care products may seem more discretionary than food, consumers tend to maintain or even boost their spending on the category during tough times. This phenomenon is known as "the lipstick effect" by economists, which states that consumers still want some semblance of affordable luxuries like beauty and wellness when the economy is sputtering. Consumer tastes are constantly changing, and personal care companies are currently responding to the public’s increased desire for ethically produced goods by featuring natural ingredients in their products. The 9 personal care stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 3.5% below. In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 2.1% on average since the latest earnings results. Named after its founder, who was an entrepreneurial woman from New York with a passion for skincare, Estée Lauder (NYSE:EL) is a one-stop beauty shop with products in skincare, fragrance, makeup, sun protection, and men’s grooming. Estée Lauder reported revenues of $3.71 billion, up 4.6% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates. “Our third quarter results extend strong year-to-date performance, driven by Beauty Reimagined,” said Stéphane de La Faverie, President and CEO. Interestingly, the stock is up 5.6% since reporting and currently trades at $81. Is now the time to buy Estée Lauder? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. Going to market with a direct selling model rather than through traditional retailers, USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA) manufactures and sells nutritional, personal care, and skincare products. USANA reported revenues of $250.2 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 7.1% since report...

Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s ULTA omnichannel strategy is a key contributor to first-quarter fiscal 2026 performance. The company reported a 5.3% increase in comparable sales, supported by broad-based growth across all channels. E-commerce was a notable driver, delivering mid-teens sales growth in the quarter, while physical stores also contributed with low single-digit growth. Management emphasized that the balanced performance across digital and store channels underscores the strength of its omnichannel approach. To enhance the digital guest experience, Ulta Beauty expanded its same-day delivery options through Uber Eats and introduced Buy Now, Pay Later functionality via Klarna. A significant strategic milestone was the launch of a TikTok Shop, featuring exclusive brands and a shoppable live stream that garnered over 5 million impressions. This initiative is designed to position Ulta Beauty at a critical discovery point for younger consumers. Furthermore, the company is leveraging AI through the introduction of an online shopping agent, Ulta AI, and integration with Google’s Gemini to enable agentic commerce. Physical stores remain a cornerstone of the strategy, with 16 net new stores opened during the quarter. These locations were supported by major promotional events like 21+ Days of Beauty, and the company announced a new highly experiential Times Square flagship slated to open in late 2027 to further drive brand awareness. The omnichannel ecosystem is unified by the Ulta Beauty Rewards program, which grew 4% year-over-year to nearly 47 million members. By utilizing this vast first-party data, Ulta Beauty is enhancing personalization to predict replenishment needs and maximize cart conversions. Management emphasized that this integrated approach allows guests to browse, buy, and fulfill purchases in the way that best fits their lifestyles. Overall, Ulta Beauty’s integrated omnichannel ecosystem, powered by AI, personalization and loyalty, positions the company to drive sustained customer engagement and growth. The company’s shares have lost 0.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s 4.7% decline. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, ULTA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 15.64, higher than the industry’s average of 14.66. ULTA currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Image Source: Zacks Investment Research T...

In early June 2026, Halper Sadeh LLC announced it is investigating whether certain officers and directors of The Estée Lauder Companies breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders, potentially prompting legal or governance actions. This legal scrutiny puts the company’s corporate governance practices under the spotlight, which can influence investor confidence and expectations around board oversight and accountability. We’ll now examine how this governance investigation might affect Estée Lauder’s investment narrative, especially its efforts to improve earnings resilience and efficiency. The best AI stocks today may lie beyond giants like Nvidia and Microsoft. Find the next big opportunity with these 13 smaller AI-focused companies with strong growth potential through early-stage innovation in machine learning, automation, and data intelligence that could fund your retirement. To own Estée Lauder, you have to believe its global brands, innovation spending, and restructuring can turn recent losses and guidance cuts into more stable earnings. The Halper Sadeh governance investigation may weigh on sentiment, but it does not directly change near term fundamentals; the bigger immediate swing factor remains execution on cost savings and demand recovery, while high fixed costs and weak travel retail are still the key risks to watch. The most relevant recent announcement here is the lowered full year EPS guidance to US$0.69 to US$0.83, which underscores how tight the margin for error is as management restructures. Any governance changes emerging from the investigation could intersect with this earnings reset, either reinforcing or complicating efforts to improve efficiency, protect brand spending, and restore profitability after several loss making periods. But against that potential upside, you still need to weigh the risk that high fixed costs and restructuring spend could keep margins under pressure if... Read the full narrative on Estée Lauder Companies (it's free!) Estée Lauder Companies' narrative projects $16.6 billion revenue and $1.5 billion earnings by 2029. This requires 3.9% yearly revenue growth and about a $1.8 billion earnings increase from -$248.0 million today. Uncover how Estée Lauder Companies' forecasts yield a $95.43 fair value, a 14% upside to its current price. Some analysts were far more optimistic, assuming revenue of about US$17.4 billi...

Market Catalysts host Julie Hyman takes a look at some of Friday's trending tickers and stories, including Deckers Outdoor's (DECK) fourth quarter sales, Workday (WDAY) stock rising on first quarter earnings, IMAX (IMAX) reportedly exploring a sale, and Estée Lauder (EL) stock surging after merger talks with Puig ended.

e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. ELF posted fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein both the top and bottom lines beat estimates. The top line increased year over year, while the adjusted EPS declined compared to the prior-year period. ELF posted adjusted earnings of 32 cents per share, down 59% from 78 cents a year ago. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 29 cents. e.l.f. Beauty price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | e.l.f. Beauty Quote Net sales of $449.3 million rose 35.1% year over year from $332.7 million and surpassed the Zacks Consensus mark of $426 million. The quarter’s sales increase was driven by growth in both retail and e-commerce channels, spanning the United States and international markets. The company highlighted that Rhode contributed $113 million in net sales during the fiscal fourth quarter, while organic net sales growth for the quarter was 1%. Gross profit increased to $326.5 million, up 37.7% year over year from $237 million. Gross margin improved about 140 basis points year over year to 73% in the fiscal fourth quarter. The company cited pricing benefits as the primary tailwind, while also flagging higher tariffs as a partial offset. Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses increased significantly by 73.1% year over year to $300 million from $173.3 million. The increase is primarily due to higher marketing, merchandising and distribution costs, compensation and benefits, depreciation and amortization, professional fees and regulatory fees. The company reported adjusted EBITDA of $58.8 million, down 27.7% year over year from $81.4 million in the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA margin declined to 13% of net sales, indicating pressure on overall profitability during the period. Cash and cash equivalents were $289.7 million as of March 31, 2026, while total debt was $841.7 million compared with $148.7 million of cash and $256.7 million of debt a year earlier. The balance sheet expansion reflects the financing and balance-sheet mechanics associated with the Rhode acquisition. Cash generation from operations was $212.5 million for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company guided fiscal 2027 net sales in the range of $1,835-$1,865 million, implying expected growth of 12-14% year over year, with expected organic sales growth of 4-5% year over year. The company also projected adjusted EBITDA of $379-$385 million and adjust...

Estée Lauder’s first quarter results met Wall Street’s revenue expectations and were received positively by the market, as management attributed performance to double-digit growth in fragrance, strong online sales, and gains in key markets such as Mainland China and emerging economies. CEO Stephane de la Faverie highlighted that “three of four regions grew organically,” with notable share gains in China, the U.S., and across the company’s fragrance portfolio. A strategic focus on channel optimization and product innovation, particularly new launches in fragrance and makeup, contributed meaningfully to the quarter’s growth trajectory. Is now the time to buy EL? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $3.71 billion vs analyst estimates of $3.70 billion (4.6% year-on-year growth, in line) Adjusted EPS: $0.91 vs analyst estimates of $0.65 (40.4% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $758 million vs analyst estimates of $620.8 million (20.4% margin, 22.1% beat) Management raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $2.40 at the midpoint, a 11.6% increase Operating Margin: 6.7%, down from 8.6% in the same quarter last year Organic Revenue rose 2% year on year (beat) Market Capitalization: $30.86 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Dara Mohsenian (Morgan Stanley) asked about the sustainability of margin expansion and the potential to return to peak historical levels. CEO Stephane de la Faverie emphasized that “margin recovery is a milestone, not a sprint,” and pointed to ongoing cost efficiencies and leverage from growth as key drivers. Filippo Falorni (Citi) questioned which regions and categories will drive acceleration. De la Faverie responded that growth is balanced across China, emerging markets, and fragrances, with ongoing momentum in digital channels and stabilization in North America. Rupesh Parikh (Oppenheimer) inquired about prospects for North America and inventory management. De la Faverie said the region is positioned for growth next year, supported by improved inventory discipline and gains in both volume and value share across major brands. Lauren Lieberman (Barclays) pressed on th...

In early May 2026, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 results showing sales of US$3,712 million and net income of US$89 million, affirmed a quarterly dividend of US$0.35 per share, and lowered full-year reported EPS guidance to US$0.69–US$0.83. Alongside these results, Estée Lauder disclosed a proposed CA$1.52 million class-action data-breach settlement in Canada and highlighted guidance for an unfavorable sales impact and EPS dilution in the fourth quarter, underscoring the mix of operational progress and legal and cost headwinds. Next, we’ll examine how the strong underlying earnings beat amid lower full-year guidance reshapes Estée Lauder’s existing investment narrative. Find 51 companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. To own Estée Lauder, you need to believe that its global prestige brands, digital channels, and PRGP cost savings can offset pressure in travel retail and mature Western markets. The latest quarter delivered modest sales growth but weaker net income, and the cut to full year EPS guidance keeps execution risk front and center. Management’s flagged Q4 sales drag and EPS dilution reinforce that earnings volatility, not the long term brand story, is the main near term concern. The most relevant recent announcement here is the lowered full year EPS guidance to US$0.69–US$0.83, despite an underlying Q3 earnings beat. That contrast brings margin resilience into sharper focus as a key short term catalyst, while also reminding investors that legal items, restructuring charges, and softer regional demand can still blunt reported profitability. How convincingly Estée Lauder converts PRGP savings and digital growth into cleaner, less volatile earnings now matters even more. Yet beneath the strong brands and digital growth story, investors should be aware of how ongoing restructuring costs and travel retail uncertainty could still... Read the full narrative on Estée Lauder Companies (it's free!) Estée Lauder Companies' narrative projects $16.4 billion revenue and $1.5 billion earnings by 2029. Uncover how Estée Lauder Companies' forecasts yield a $102.64 fair value, a 24% upside to its current price. Before this Q3 miss on GAAP earnings and guidance cut, the most optimistic analysts were modeling about US$17.4 billion of 2029 revenue and US$1.9 billion in earnings, so if you lean to...

Estee Lauder (EL) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.91 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.66 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.65 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +38.66%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this beauty products company would post earnings of $0.84 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.89, delivering a surprise of +5.95%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Estee Lauder, which belongs to the Zacks Cosmetics industry, posted revenues of $3.71 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.29%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.55 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Estee Lauder shares have lost about 26.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 5.3%. While Estee Lauder has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Estee Lauder was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong...

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.3% and the actively trad

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. EL reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein both top and bottom lines beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year. Management has raised fiscal 2026 guidance. Adjusted earnings of 91 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 66 cents in the fiscal third quarter. The bottom line increased 40% from 65 cents in the year-ago quarter. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Quote The company's quarterly net sales of $3,712 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,701 million. The top line increased 5% year over year. Organic net sales increased 2% to reach $3,611 million. Skin Care sales rose 3% year over year to $1,856 million, led by La Mer and The Ordinary, which was offset by declines in Clinique and Origins. Operating income improved due to higher reported net sales, though partially offset by increased consumer-facing investments behind key activations, launches and expansion initiatives. Makeup revenues increased 4% year over year to $1,072 million, with growth in the Estee Lauder brand offset by declines in Clinique and Too Faced. The segment reported an operating loss in contrast to an income in the prior year, largely due to a $35 million charge related to a potential securities class action settlement. Excluding this impact, operating income improved, driven by higher sales and cost benefits from the Profit Recovery and Growth Plan (PRGP) initiative, though partly offset by increased investments in marketing and product launches. In the Fragrance category, revenues of $628 million increased 13%, led by strong double-digit growth in luxury brands across all regions, particularly Le Labo, KILIAN PARIS, BALMAIN Beauty and TOM FORD. Operating results declined, reflecting a $13 million unfavorable allocation tied to a potential securities class action settlement recorded in the fiscal third quarter. Excluding this impact, operating income rose modestly, supported by higher gross profit driven by increased sales, though partially offset by elevated consumer-facing investments in key activations, distribution expansion and new product launches. Hair Care sales totaled $128 million, up 2% year over year, driven by growth from The Ordinary, which was offset by declines in Bumble and bumble and Le Labo. Segment operating re...

Friday, May 1st, 2026 We start the final trading day of one of the most historically informational week for the stock market in recent memory relatively quiet. Thursday saw record closing highs for the S&P 500, Nasdaq and small-cap Russell 2000. We’ll see final Manufacturing PMI from S&P and ISM after the opening bell, but otherwise we have time to absorb the tremendous amount of content sent our way this week — from continually rising gasoline prices as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarkable final presser about the importance of an independent Federal Reserve to inflation back up over +3% to unbelievably low Weekly Jobless Claims numbers to succinctly, four of the biggest earnings reports in Wall Street’s history, in terms of AI hyperscalers’ growth and capital expenditures. The week of trading saw the major indexes flat to down overall before climbing to record closes, but this morning they’d jumped on the latest news that Iran’s government has submitted a new plan to end the war. As this column gets written, however, volatility is once again entering pre-market activity. The Dow is +154 points presently, +0.31%, while the S&P 500 is 16 points, +0.22%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq has actually dipped to negative territory, -12 points, -0.05%, and the Russell 2000 is +2 points, +0.07%. Global cosmetics mainstay Estee Lauder EL crushed fiscal Q3 earnings expectations, reporting 91 cents per share compared to the 66 cents in the Zacks consensus. Revenues surpassed estimates by a decidedly more modest +0.29% to $3.71 billion. Shares are up +12% on the news this morning, but still digging out of their double-digit hole year to date. For more on EL’s earnings, click here. Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy)-rated ExxonMobil XOM easily beat estimates on both top and bottom lines this morning. Earnings of $1.16 per share outpaced the Zacks consensus $1.07 by +8.4%, while revenues of $85.14 billion were +4.47% stronger than anticipated. Shares are flat on the news, but +28% year to date. For more on XOM’s earnings, click here. Chevron CVX, another integrated oil supermajor with a Zacks Rank #1, posted an even bigger bottom line surprise: +53.3% to $141 per share. Revenues of $48.61 billion bettered expectations by +2.60% for the quarter, and $1 billion better than the year-ago sales tally. Shares are down slightly, but +25% year to date. For mo...