Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Stock: Insider Paul Fribourg Sells 70,000 Shares

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) Director Paul Fribourg sold 70,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.21, for a total value of $7,714,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 326,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,964,608.88. The trade was a 17.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Estee Lauder Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EL opened at $113.31 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $101.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $91.68. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $66.22 and a fifty-two week high of $121.64. The firm has a market cap of $41.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.25.

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

Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 30th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 30th. Estee Lauder Companies’s payout ratio is presently 140.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Estee Lauder Companies

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new stake in Estee Lauder Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Kozak & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the second quarter worth about $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 35.2% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 415 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 1,732.5% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 733 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 693 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 37.8% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,349 shares of the company’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Argus lifted their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $116.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 16th. CICC Research upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $65.00 to $122.00 in a research report on Monday, August 31st. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Estee Lauder Companies from $108.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Estee Lauder Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.