Estee Lauder Companies Inc vs Kohl's Corporation — how do they compare? Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $82.67 (market cap $29.78B), while Kohl's Corporation trades at $17.68 (market cap $1.94B). The key difference: Estee Lauder Companies Inc is far larger — about 15.4× Kohl's Corporation's market cap, and Kohl's Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.92%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| EL | KSS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $29.78B | $1.94B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $119.61 | $24.71 |
52-Week Low | $67.23 | $9.39 |
Enterprise Value | $35.95B | $8.04B |
Dividend Yield | 1.7% | 2.92% |
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.
Kohl's (KSS) trades at $17.62, up 7.31% in the past 24 hours, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The stock shows deep value with a P/E of 7.18 and P/B of 0.48, while recent earnings beats and a 10% jump in juniors sales (Zacks, 2026-06-30) signal early turnaround progress. Cash flow improved to $276M net in 2026 from -$49M in 2025, though revenue has declined from $19.4B in 2022 to $16.2B in 2025.
The outlook hinges on successful execution of Kohl's value-focused strategy and proprietary brand growth to reverse sales declines. Risks include intense retail competition and macroeconomic pressure on consumer spending. Analysts are mixed with a $16.75 consensus target below the current price, suggesting cautious optimism amid restructuring efforts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Kohl's operates 1,165 department stores in 49 states that sell moderately priced private-label and national brand clothing, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, and home furnishings. Most of these stores are in strip centers. Kohl's also operates a large digital sales business. Women's apparel is Kohl's largest category, having generated 27% of its 2021 sales. The retailer, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, opened its first department store in 1962.
Read more on KSS →