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Estée Lauder Returns to Growth as Fragrance and China Rebound Lift Q1 Results

Reaffirmed 2026 guidance signals confidence in a nascent turnaround.

Overview

  • Net sales rose 4% to about $3.48 billion with organic growth of 3%, and adjusted EPS came in at $0.32, topping estimates.
  • Profitability improved, with gross margin near 73.4% and adjusted operating margin at 7.3% as operating income jumped year over year.
  • Fragrance led performance with roughly 13% organic growth, while skincare grew about 3% and makeup and haircare declined.
  • Asia-Pacific and Mainland China each increased about 9% on strength in travel retail, while the Americas slipped and EUKEM posted growth.
  • Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 sales and adjusted EPS guidance, lowered GAAP EPS, advanced PRGP restructuring toward 5,800–7,000 role reductions, flagged about $100 million in tariff headwinds, and implemented a new four-region reporting structure.