Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Friday.

Several other research firms have also commented on EL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Estée Lauder Companies from $129.00 to $105.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group decreased their target price on Estée Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $104.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Estée Lauder Companies from $130.00 to $117.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Estée Lauder Companies from $180.00 to $130.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Estée Lauder Companies from $140.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Estée Lauder Companies has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $124.39.

Estée Lauder Companies Trading Up 2.4 %

EL stock traded up $2.23 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $93.67. 5,477,774 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,073,794. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $100.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $126.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.59 billion, a PE ratio of 52.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.99. Estée Lauder Companies has a 1-year low of $86.05 and a 1-year high of $165.76.

Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 19th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.39. Estée Lauder Companies had a return on equity of 13.08% and a net margin of 4.18%. The company had revenue of $3.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.07 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Estée Lauder Companies will post 2.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Jane Lauder sold 14,976 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.26, for a total value of $1,815,989.76. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 57,389 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,958,990.14. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 12.77% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Estée Lauder Companies

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Estée Lauder Companies in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Estée Lauder Companies by 103.1% in the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 195 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Estée Lauder Companies in the first quarter valued at $35,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC increased its position in Estée Lauder Companies by 163.0% during the 1st quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 263 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Estée Lauder Companies by 3,262.5% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 269 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Estée Lauder Companies Company Profile

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polishes, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools.

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