Estée Lauder Q3 Results Exceed Expectations with Strong Growth
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
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Should l Buy EL?
Source: seekingalpha
- Significant Earnings Growth: Estée Lauder reported an adjusted EPS of $0.91 for Q3, a 40% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by $0.26, highlighting the company's robust performance in the beauty market.
- Sales Increase: Net sales rose by 5% year-over-year, with adjusted gross margin widening by 140 basis points to 76.4%, indicating ongoing improvements in profitability and market competitiveness.
- Strong Cash Flow: Free cash flow surged to $891 million, reflecting strong operational cash flows and well-timed capital expenditures, providing ample funding for future investments.
- Optimistic Outlook: The company raised its organic sales growth forecast for fiscal 2026 to approximately 3%, with adjusted operating margin expected between 10.7% and 11.0%, demonstrating confidence in future market conditions.
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Analyst Views on EL
Wall Street analysts forecast EL stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
9 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 76.710
Low
70.00
Averages
106.76
High
130.00
Current: 76.710
Low
70.00
Averages
106.76
High
130.00
About EL
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is a manufacturer, marketer and seller of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Its products are sold in over 150 countries and territories under a number of brand names, including Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M.A.C, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, La Mer, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, Kilian Paris, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty. It is a licensee for fragrances, cosmetics and/or related products for AERIN, BALMAIN, and Dr. Andrew Weil. Its skin care products include moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, exfoliators, facial masks, body care, sun care products and others. Its makeup products include foundations, powders, concealers and setting sprays, lipsticks, lip liners and lip glosses, and mascaras, eyeshadows and eyeliners.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Release Date: Estée Lauder is set to announce its Q3 earnings on May 1st before market open, with consensus EPS estimate at $0.65 and revenue expected to reach $3.69 billion, indicating significant market interest in its financial performance.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Estée Lauder has beaten EPS estimates 100% of the time and revenue estimates 75% of the time, demonstrating strong stability and market confidence in its financial results.
- Expectation Adjustments: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen 0 upward revisions and 18 downward revisions, while revenue estimates have experienced 2 upward revisions and 14 downward revisions, reflecting a cautious market outlook on the company's future performance.
- Merger Negotiation Dynamics: Ongoing discussions regarding a potential merger between Estée Lauder and Puig brands have not yet resulted in any decisions, but such talks could influence investor expectations regarding the company's future growth prospects.
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- Annual Profit Forecast Increase: Estée Lauder raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast to $2.35 to $2.45 per share, significantly up from the previous range of $2.05 to $2.25, reflecting a positive outlook amid restructuring and strategic market adjustments.
- Expanded Layoff Plans: The company announced an increase in global job cuts to 9,000 to 10,000, up from a prior estimate of 7,000, aiming to save up to $1.2 billion annually, indicating a strategic shift in light of merger discussions.
- Sales Performance Exceeds Expectations: Quarterly sales reached $3.71 billion, surpassing analysts' expectations of $3.69 billion, with adjusted profit at $0.88 per share, also exceeding the anticipated $0.65, showcasing strong performance in the luxury market.
- Market Environment Impact: Despite sluggish U.S. consumer spending, Estée Lauder achieved sales growth in luxury markets like China and Europe, while anticipating a 2-percentage-point negative impact on future sales due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
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- Significant Earnings Growth: Estée Lauder reported an adjusted EPS of $0.91 for Q3, a 40% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by $0.26, highlighting the company's robust performance in the beauty market.
- Sales Increase: Net sales rose by 5% year-over-year, with adjusted gross margin widening by 140 basis points to 76.4%, indicating ongoing improvements in profitability and market competitiveness.
- Strong Cash Flow: Free cash flow surged to $891 million, reflecting strong operational cash flows and well-timed capital expenditures, providing ample funding for future investments.
- Optimistic Outlook: The company raised its organic sales growth forecast for fiscal 2026 to approximately 3%, with adjusted operating margin expected between 10.7% and 11.0%, demonstrating confidence in future market conditions.
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- Company Performance: Estée Lauder shares increased by 5% following the announcement of its annual profit forecast.
- Market Reaction: The positive market response indicates investor confidence in the company's financial outlook.
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- Apple's Strong Earnings: Apple reported a fiscal second-quarter earnings of $2.01 per share and revenue of $111.18 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.95 and $109.66 billion, although iPhone sales missed estimates for the third consecutive quarter, indicating increasing market competition pressures.
- Roku's Robust Growth: Roku's first-quarter revenue reached $1.25 billion, exceeding the expected $1.20 billion, with adjusted EBITDA of $148.4 million also above the forecast of $131.3 million, highlighting the company's ongoing growth potential in the streaming market.
- Estée Lauder's Better-Than-Expected Performance: Estée Lauder reported third-quarter earnings of $0.91 per share and revenue of $3.71 billion, both exceeding analyst estimates, despite announcing job cuts as part of its turnaround strategy, reflecting its adaptive measures in a changing market.
- Moderna's Improved Financials: Moderna posted a first-quarter loss of $3.40 per share, better than the anticipated loss of $4.45, with revenues of $389 million surpassing the $236.4 million estimate, indicating its sustained competitiveness in the vaccine market.
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- Sales Performance Boost: Estee Lauder reported third-quarter sales of $3.71 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.69 billion, indicating a recovery in sales in China and Europe, reflecting the initial success of its turnaround plan.
- Stock Price Surge: Following the sales beat, Estee Lauder's shares rose 16% in premarket trading, which not only boosts investor confidence but also lays a solid foundation for the company's future growth.
- Layoff Plan Revision: The company revised its layoff target from a previous range of 5,800 to 7,000 employees to a new range of 9,000 to 10,000, highlighting its focus on cost control during the transformation process aimed at improving operational efficiency to tackle market challenges.
- Merger Negotiation Progress: Estee Lauder is in talks to merge with Puig, the owner of Jean Paul Gaultier, and this potential merger could further enhance its market competitiveness and bring about synergies to drive future growth.
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