Price movement over the last 24 hours
Albemarle Corp. vs Estee Lauder Companies Inc — how do they compare? Albemarle Corp. trades at $128.01 (market cap $15.22B), while Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $81.3 (market cap $30.55B). The key difference: Estee Lauder Companies Inc is far larger — about 2× Albemarle Corp.'s market cap, and Estee Lauder Companies Inc pays the higher dividend (1.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALB | EL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $15.22B | $30.55B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $215.62 | $119.61 |
52-Week Low | $67.30 | $67.23 |
Enterprise Value | $18.24B | $36.72B |
Dividend Yield | 1.26% | 1.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Albemarle (ALB) is trading at $129.02, down 4.82% over the past 24 hours amid bearish technical signals. The stock shows mixed fundamentals with a low P/E of 5.12 and negative net income margin of -4.24% for 2025, though Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations. Recent news highlights a focus on debt reduction and energy storage system demand as lithium prices rebound. Cash flow improved in 2025 with net cash flow of $425.77 million, while the balance sheet reflects a debt-to-asset ratio of 19.8%.
The outlook for ALB hinges on lithium price recovery and execution in energy storage markets. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $227.10 price target suggesting significant upside, but risks include volatile lithium markets and ongoing profitability challenges. The stock's current level near key support at $128 may attract value investors, though macroeconomic and commodity pressures remain headwinds.
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $84.44, up 0.87% with a bullish technical signal and recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong momentum with three consecutive quarterly EPS beats and a consensus price target of $90.60. However, fundamentals reveal challenges with negative net income of -$1.13B in 2025 and elevated P/E of 147.8, though gross margins remain robust at 74.71%. Recent news highlights strategic investments and product innovation, including the Scent Scanner launch with Jo Malone London.
The outlook is mixed: technical strength and analyst optimism support upside to $90+, but high valuation and profitability concerns pose risks. Investment opportunity lies in execution of growth initiatives and margin recovery, while key risks include competitive pressures and macroeconomic headwinds affecting consumer spending.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Albemarle is the world's largest lithium producer. Our outlook for robust lithium demand is predicated upon increased demand for electric vehicle batteries. Albemarle produces lithium from its salt brine deposits in Chile and the U.S. and its hard rock joint venture mines in Australia. Albemarle is also a global leader in the production of bromine, used in flame retardants. The company is also a major producer of oil refining catalysts.
Read more on ALB →Estee Lauder is the world leader in the global prestige beauty market, participating across skincare (56% of fiscal 2022 sales), makeup (26%), fragrance (14%), and haircare (4%) categories, with popular brands such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer, Jo Malone, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Too Faced, Origins, Dr. Jart+, and The Ordinary. The firm operates in 150 countries, with 26% of fiscal 2022 revenue stemming from the Americas, 43% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 31% from Asia-Pacific. The company sells its products through department stores, travel retail, multi-brand specialty beauty stores, brand-dedicated freestanding stores, e-commerce, salons/spas, and perfumeries.
Read more on EL →