Estee Lauder Companies Inc vs KLA Corp. — how do they compare? Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $82.52 (market cap $29.78B), while KLA Corp. trades at $218.75 (market cap $293.26B). The key difference: KLA Corp. is far larger — about 9.8× Estee Lauder Companies Inc's market cap, and Estee Lauder Companies Inc pays the higher dividend (1.7%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| EL | KLAC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $29.78B | $293.26B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $119.61 | $301.71 |
52-Week Low | $67.23 | $84.39 |
Enterprise Value | $35.95B | $294.45B |
Dividend Yield | 1.7% | 0.41% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $82.72, up 2.3% with recent earnings beats but faces fundamental challenges including a negative net income margin of -1.67% and elevated P/E ratio of 147.8. Technical indicators show bearish momentum with support at $81 and resistance at $84. The company maintains strong gross margins at 74.71% and positive analyst sentiment with 44% buy ratings and $90.60 consensus target.
While recent earnings outperformance and strong brand positioning provide upside potential, investors face risks from declining revenue trends, negative profitability, and high valuation multiples. The stock's near-term direction will depend on Q2 2026 earnings delivery and management's ability to restore sustainable growth amid competitive pressures.
KLA Corporation (KLAC) trades at $219.92, down 4.54% on the day, with technical indicators showing a neutral to bearish short-term bias. The stock exhibits strong fundamentals, including a 35.66% net income margin and consistent earnings beats, most recently in Q1 2026. Revenue grew to $12.16 billion in 2025, and a 1:10 stock split is scheduled for June 12, 2026. Analyst sentiment remains largely positive, with a consensus price target of $242.33 implying potential upside.
The outlook for KLAC is supported by its dominant position in semiconductor process control and AI-driven demand, though high valuation multiples (P/E of 63.58) pose a risk. Investors face exposure to semiconductor cycle volatility and competitive pressures, but the company's profitability and analyst bullishness suggest long-term growth potential if execution remains strong.
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 →KLA designs and manufactures yield-management and process-monitoring diagnostic and control systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The systems are used to analyze the manufacturing process at various steps in a semiconductor's development. The firm's laser-scanning products are used for wafer qualification, process monitoring, and equipment monitoring. KLA also provides inspection tools and systems for optical metrology and e-beam metrology.
Read more on KLAC →