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Estée Lauder Companies creates and sells prestige skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products through a portfolio of well-known brands. Its products are sold in department stores, specialty retailers, luxury perfumeries, pharmacies, salons, spas, and online stores, including its own websites and authorized retailers. The company focuses on brand equity and product innovation to meet premium consumer preferences. Unlike peers that rely on a single brand, Estée Lauder combines a diverse set of brands to serve a wide range of beauty needs and price points, with a strong direct-to-consumer presence. Its goal is to lead the global prestige beauty market by delivering high-quality products and a luxurious brand experience while growing sales and profitability.
Industries
Consumer Goods
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1946
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Total Funding
$169M
Above
Industry Average
Funded Over
0 Rounds
Estée Lauder has partnered with the University of Leeds' School of Design to improve shade-matching accuracy for complexion products like foundations and concealers. The research will be led by Dr Kaida Xiao, a colour science specialist, using psychophysical approaches to study how people perceive colour variations. The collaboration aims to establish new scientific benchmarks for evaluating complexion products across diverse skin tones. However, the company has not disclosed a timeline for commercialising the research. The announcement comes as Estée Lauder reported a $116 million net loss in its fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. The company's hair care segment declined 1% due to weakness at Aveda, whilst Middle East conflict impacted EUKEM sales growth by approximately 2 percentage points.
Estée Lauder has expanded Brian Franz's role to chief technology and transformation officer after 18 months as the beauty company's first-ever C-suite technology leader. Franz will oversee global IT operations, deepen partnerships with Shopify and Accenture, and drive AI adoption across the organisation. The move supports CEO Stephane de La Faverie's turnaround plan following criticism that Estée Lauder hadn't adapted quickly enough to digital consumer patterns. Franz has rolled out Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT to all 14,000 employees whilst deploying AI for product formulation, manufacturing efficiency, and marketing campaigns. Recent AI initiatives include an AI-enabled scent adviser for Jo Malone London, developed with Google Cloud, and "Ella," which assists manufacturing operators. The company is also implementing Shopify's agentic feature to improve product discovery on AI chatbots. Franz previously held CIO positions at State Street, Diageo, and PepsiCo.
Estée Lauder forecast fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings per share of $3.10 to $3.35, above analyst estimates, after fourth-quarter net sales rose 6.3% to $3.63 billion. Shares jumped 11% in premarket trading on 19 August 2026. Luxury perfume brands Le Labo and Tom Ford drove 10% sales growth. The company cut roughly 10,000 jobs, freeing up about $1.2 billion, and reported real sales growth in mainland China. Adjusted profit of 39 cents per share beat the 32-cent estimate. However, makeup sales stayed flat and hair care sales dropped 1%. The company still posted a $116 million net loss for the quarter, down from a $546 million loss a year earlier.
Estée Lauder reported second-quarter revenue of $3.64 billion, beating analyst estimates of $3.54 billion with 6.8% year-on-year growth. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.39, surpassing expectations of $0.32. CEO Stephane de la Faverie attributed the performance to organic sales gains across all regions and most product categories, particularly in skin care and fragrance. He highlighted success from brands including The Ordinary and Jo Malone London. Operating margin improved to negative 1.1% from negative 11.4% in the prior year period. Management credited completed restructuring efforts and operational improvements for the margin expansion. The company reported renewed market share gains in mainland China and North America, supported by locally relevant innovation and strong digital presence on platforms like Douyin.
Estée Lauder reported fourth-quarter sales of $3.63 billion and a quarterly net loss of $116 million in August 2026. Full-year sales reached $15.05 billion with net income of $182 million. The company issued earnings per share guidance of $2.52 to $2.85 for the year ending 30 June 2027. It also affirmed a $0.35 quarterly dividend payable on 15 September 2026. Separately, Estée Lauder's research collaboration with the University of Leeds focuses on colour science and skin tone perception. The work aims to develop more precise complexion products for its prestige portfolio. The company's narrative projects $17.1 billion revenue and $1.6 billion earnings by 2029, requiring 4.3% yearly revenue growth.
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Industries
Consumer Goods
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1946
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today