Quadrature Capital Ltd Decreases Position in The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL)

Quadrature Capital Ltd lessened its holdings in The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) by 82.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 85,219 shares of the company’s stock after selling 392,319 shares during the period. Quadrature Capital Ltd’s holdings in Estée Lauder Companies were worth $12,467,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Estée Lauder Companies during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Estée Lauder Companies by 82.2% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Northwest Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Estée Lauder Companies during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Estée Lauder Companies during the 4th quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Headinvest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Estée Lauder Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.15% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Estée Lauder Companies

In other Estée Lauder Companies news, EVP Jane Lauder sold 14,976 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.26, for a total value of $1,815,989.76. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 57,389 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,958,990.14. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Jane Lauder sold 14,976 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.26, for a total value of $1,815,989.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 57,389 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,958,990.14. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Peter Jueptner sold 12,786 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.62, for a total transaction of $1,670,107.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $728,598.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 42,255 shares of company stock valued at $5,453,232 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.77% of the company’s stock.

Estée Lauder Companies Price Performance

EL stock traded down $3.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $120.47. 2,187,014 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,528,238. The company has a market cap of $43.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.68, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.04. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has a 52-week low of $102.22 and a 52-week high of $204.41. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $136.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $138.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58.

Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $3.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.92 billion. Estée Lauder Companies had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 13.08%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.47 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Estée Lauder Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be issued a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 31st. Estée Lauder Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 148.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Estée Lauder Companies from $160.00 to $159.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Estée Lauder Companies in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Estée Lauder Companies from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Estée Lauder Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $164.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of Estée Lauder Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $160.92.

Estée Lauder Companies 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.