Estee Lauder Companies Inc vs Hormel Foods Corp — how do they compare? Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $87.5 (market cap $31.76B), while Hormel Foods Corp trades at $24.1 (market cap $13.37B). The key difference: Estee Lauder Companies Inc is far larger — about 2.4× Hormel Foods Corp's market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays the higher dividend (4.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| EL | HRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $31.76B | $13.37B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $119.61 | $29.25 |
52-Week Low | $67.23 | $19.74 |
Enterprise Value | $37.93B | $15.37B |
Dividend Yield | 1.59% | 4.81% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $87.19, down 1.31% on the day, with a mixed technical picture showing bullish moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company faces fundamental challenges with a net loss of $1.13B in 2025 and negative profit margins, though recent quarters have consistently beaten EPS expectations. Analyst sentiment is divided with a Hold consensus and $91.67 price target, while institutional activity shows significant position changes including Bank of America's 950.9% stake increase in Q1 2026.
The stock presents a recovery opportunity with strong brand positioning and recent product launches like the Glimmer fragrance, but faces headwinds from declining revenues and profitability. Near-term catalysts include the upcoming Q2 2026 earnings report where EL is expected to post $0.3193 EPS. The key risk remains execution on margin improvement amid competitive pressures in the beauty sector.
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $24.705, down 1.26% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and neutral oscillators. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.40, beating expectations, but net income margin declined to 3.82% in 2025. Recent news includes the appointment of John Ghingo as CEO and the sale of its Brazilian CERATTI business, signaling strategic refocusing.
Outlook is mixed: strong dividend yield and consistent earnings beats support income investors, but margin pressures and bearish technicals pose near-term risks. Analyst consensus is 'Hold' with a $26.33 price target, suggesting limited upside. Macroeconomic headwinds in consumer staples may challenge growth.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Hormel Foods is a protein-focused branded food company. Its brands include its namesake Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Applegate, Wholly Guacamole, and Skippy. The vast majority of the company's revenue is U.S.-based: 64% U.S. retail, 28% U.S. food service, and 8% international. By product type, in fiscal 2021, 23% of revenue was shelf-stable foods, 18% was poultry (branded and commodity), 55% was other perishable food, and 3% was other, primarily nutritional products. The company holds the number-one market position in shelf-stable meat, shelf-stable ready meals, pepperoni, natural/organic deli meat, and guacamole and the number-two position in turkey, bacon, chilled ready meals, and peanut butter.
Read more on HRL →