Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Director Paul Fribourg Sells 2,406 Shares of Stock

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) Director Paul Fribourg sold 2,406 shares of Estee Lauder Companies stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.10, for a total value of $276,930.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 323,922 shares in the company, valued at $37,283,422.20. This represents a 0.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Estee Lauder Companies Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:EL opened at $113.31 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.25. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. has a 1 year low of $66.22 and a 1 year high of $121.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 113.31, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $101.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $91.68.

Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.65 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Estee Lauder Companies Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Estee Lauder Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EL. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 20.7% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 7,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $721,000 after acquiring an additional 1,331 shares during the last quarter. Bluebird Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the third quarter worth about $173,000. Independent Advisor Alliance purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies in the third quarter valued at about $204,000. Composition Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies in the third quarter valued at about $203,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 592.9% in the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 9,098 shares of the company’s stock valued at $844,000 after purchasing an additional 7,785 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.15% of the company’s stock.

Estee Lauder Companies News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Estee Lauder Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $132 from $121 and reiterated a Buy rating, citing potential upside as the company works to improve sales and margins. Citigroup rating information
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see Estée Lauder’s China business strengthening, a potential boost to its turnaround and prospects for higher sales and margins. Barron’s article on China’s contribution to the turnaround
• Neutral Sentiment: The company unveiled a “Mastering Skin Longevity” skincare platform, signaling a focus on product innovation; the report provides no sales or financial impact estimate. Yahoo Finance article on the skincare platform
• Negative Sentiment: Director Paul Fribourg has reported several recent share sales, including 2,406 shares on Nov. 9 and larger transactions earlier in the month. Repeated insider selling may concern investors, though it does not necessarily signal a change in the company’s outlook. SEC filing reporting a director share sale

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $108.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $90.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. B. Riley Financial reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective (up from $85.00) on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Estee Lauder Companies from $121.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Estee Lauder Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $110.73.

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.