New York, February 6, 2026, 07:24 EST — Premarket
- EL edged up slightly in premarket action following a steep drop on Thursday.
- Investors are balancing higher full-year targets with tariff expenses and ongoing weakness in the Americas.
- Traders will watch for momentum at the open and new insights from filings and the upcoming earnings announcement.
Shares of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. ticked up roughly 1% in early trading Friday, following a steep 19.2% drop that closed the previous session at $96.66. 1
The stock fell following the company’s quarterly update, where even raised annual targets didn’t impress investors amid tariff concerns and a struggling Americas segment. “A key area of focus remains the Americas, where sales improved sequentially to flat, but U.S. market share gains did not translate into retailer orders,” Evercore ISI analyst Robert Ottenstein said. 2
Expectations were high heading into the report. Estée Lauder’s stock had surged over 45% in the last year. But CEO Stéphane de la Faverie warned Thursday that “the enacted tariffs are starting to hurt consumer confidence in Latin America,” as noted by Investopedia. 3
Estée Lauder posted net sales of $4.229 billion in its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31, marking a 6% increase from the previous year. Adjusted earnings came in at 89 cents per share, while reported diluted earnings hit 44 cents. The company also noted that its adjusted operating margin climbed to 14.4%. 4
Estée Lauder projected adjusted EPS between $2.05 and $2.25 for fiscal 2026, with organic net sales expected to rise 1% to 3%. Here, “organic” excludes currency impacts and select portfolio changes. The company confirmed that current incremental tariffs will cut profitability by about $100 million, primarily in the back half of the year. It also flagged a potential 50-basis-point margin decline in Q3 as it boosts consumer-facing spending. 5
A quarterly filing posted on the SEC’s EDGAR system revealed the company submitted its 10-Q on Feb. 5, covering the period ending Dec. 31. Traders closely scrutinize these reports for details on restructuring charges, cash flow, and the assumptions supporting guidance. 6
Estée Lauder’s recent SEC filing showcased share gains across key prestige beauty markets and noted mainland China’s retail sales hitting double-digit growth for a second quarter running. The company also flagged growth on Amazon and TikTok Shop, while confirming plans to roll out M·A·C in select U.S. Sephora stores—including Sephora at Kohl’s—in March 2026. 7
Some investors are betting on a rebound in China. Barron’s noted that sales in the region jumped 13% last quarter and the company expects mid-single-digit growth there for the full year. That projection comes despite the stock’s 10% drop year to date, including Thursday’s sell-off. 8
Some remain convinced the selloff went too far. RBC Capital’s Nik Modi stuck to his Outperform rating, telling Investing.com the “worst is in the past for Estée Lauder” and a steady rebound is taking shape.
But the short-term outlook appears shaky. MarketWatch noted that the stock’s drop marked it as the S&P 500’s worst performer on Thursday, following a sharp rebound from an April 2025 low that left little margin for error on profits and margins. 9
On Friday, traders will be tracking if the stock maintains its premarket steadiness and how news on spending and tariffs might affect other consumer stocks. The next major milestone is the company’s upcoming earnings report, set for May 1, according to 10 .
