Where it trades today
trading 49% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The key question is whether steady demand and pricing discipline can protect margins even if growth stays modest.
- EL trades at 186.9x earnings, well above the consumer defensive average of 21.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- Recent realized volatility is running around 63.9%, above the sector norm of 18.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- EL is in a bullish short-term regime and only 23.2% below its 52-week high, so the question is whether fundamentals can keep pace with that stronger tape.
Portfolio Use Case
- EL is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside consumer defensive than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- This name works better as a satellite or higher-conviction growth position because it can amplify market swings in both directions.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in EL.
- If the short-term trend rolls over while volume fades, the market may stop paying up for momentum before the fundamentals change.
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for EL come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Consumer Defensive so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as PG, KO, PEP.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for EL. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:57 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as PG, KO, PEP.
What Estée Lauder does
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. The company provides skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, eye care, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as foundations, powders, concealers and setting sprays, lipsticks, lip liners and lip glosses, mascaras, and eyeshadows and eyeliners, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. It also offers fragrance products in various forms comprising parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne, and body spray, as well as lotions, creams,…
Employees
37,950
Industry
Household & Personal Products
Headquarters
New York, United States
What analysts expect
EL carries a buy consensus from 27 analysts, with an average price target of $107.04 versus $93.43 today (+14.6%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
EL generated $15.05B in trailing revenue (6.3% year over year), with a 1.2% net margin, and $1.81B of free cash flow, against $5.75B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $15.05B | $11.36B | $1.68B | $182.00M | $0.50 | $1.32B |
| 2025 | $14.33B | $10.60B | $1.14B | -$1.13B | -$3.15 | $670.00M |
| 2024 | $15.61B | $11.18B | $1.56B | $390.00M | $1.09 | $1.44B |
| 2023 | $15.91B | $11.35B | $1.77B | $1.01B | $2.81 | -$1.56B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in consumer defensive
Stable sector with essential products like food, beverages, and household goods.
The companies it competes with
EL beside the consumer defensive names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Estée Lauder trades at $93.43, 23.2% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 1.27, it shows more sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is EL a good buy right now?
Estée Lauder trades at 186.9x earnings. This is above market average, reflecting growth expectations. Current risk level is Very High based on 63.9% volatility.
Does EL pay dividends?
Yes, Estée Lauder offers a dividend yield of 1.49%. That is roughly $1.39 per share a year.
How volatile is EL?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 63.9% and beta of 1.27, EL is classified as Very High risk. Expect larger swings than the broader market during volatile periods.
What is the analyst price target for EL?
The average analyst price target for Estée Lauder (EL) is $107.04 based on 27 analyst estimates, about 14.6% above the current price of $93.43. The published range runs from $70.00 to $127.00.
How much revenue does EL generate?
Estée Lauder reported $15.05B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 6.3% year over year. Net margin sits at 1.2%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.