The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) Shares Sold by Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) by 49.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,710 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,625 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Estée Lauder Companies were worth $395,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EL. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Estée Lauder Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Estée Lauder Companies by 103.1% during the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 195 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new stake in Estée Lauder Companies in the second quarter valued at $30,000. PARK CIRCLE Co acquired a new position in shares of Estée Lauder Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Estée Lauder Companies during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Estée Lauder Companies Stock Performance

Shares of EL stock opened at $85.01 on Friday. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.39 and a 12 month high of $159.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The company has a market cap of $30.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.76, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $92.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.95.

Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 19th. The company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.80 billion. Estée Lauder Companies had a return on equity of 16.91% and a net margin of 2.50%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.07 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. will post 2.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Estée Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.11%. Estée Lauder Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 148.31%.

Insider Activity at Estée Lauder Companies

In other news, Director Lynn Forester sold 3,890 shares of Estée Lauder Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.61, for a total transaction of $364,142.90. Following the sale, the director now owns 15,209 shares in the company, valued at $1,423,714.49. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Charlene Barshefsky sold 3,437 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.93, for a total transaction of $315,963.41. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 49,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,578,114. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Lynn Forester sold 3,890 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.61, for a total transaction of $364,142.90. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,209 shares in the company, valued at $1,423,714.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 12.77% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Estée Lauder Companies in a report on Monday, August 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Estée Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Estée Lauder Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Estée Lauder Companies in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Raymond James cut Estée Lauder Companies from a “strong-buy” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $120.27.

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.