Estee Lauder Companies Inc vs Ross Stores, Inc. — how do they compare? Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $82.31 (market cap $29.78B), while Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $233.44 (market cap $72.47B). The key difference: Ross Stores, Inc. is far larger — about 2.4× 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 | ROST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $29.78B | $72.47B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $119.61 | $240.13 |
52-Week Low | $67.23 | $129.10 |
Enterprise Value | $35.95B | $73.07B |
Dividend Yield | 1.7% | 0.79% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $80.86, down 0.36% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings beats. The stock shows a high P/E of 147.8 and negative net income margin of -1.67%, though revenue remains substantial at $14.33 billion for 2025. Recent news highlights innovation in beauty trends, but cash flow trends show net outflows over recent years.
Outlook is mixed: analyst consensus targets $90.60 with 44% buy ratings, but high valuation and profitability challenges pose risks. Recovery depends on margin improvement and sustained revenue growth amid competitive pressures.
Ross Stores (ROST) trades at $220.90, up 0.66% with a bullish technical signal. The company demonstrates strong fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, revenue growth to $21.13B in 2025, and robust profitability metrics including 9.74% net margin and 38.98% ROE. Recent analyst upgrades highlight growing optimism about the company's growth trajectory and operational efficiency improvements.
The outlook remains positive with analyst consensus price target of $259 (17.3% upside), though valuation multiples appear elevated (P/E 31.55, P/B 11.49). Key risks include competitive retail pressures and execution challenges in maintaining margin expansion amid economic uncertainty. The stock's proximity to recent highs suggests near-term consolidation may precede further gains.
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 →Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →