Company Overview - Estée Lauder Companies (EL) is a global leader in prestige beauty, offering luxury skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare through over 20 iconic brands such as Estée Lauder, Clinique, La Mer, and MAC [1] - The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in New York, operating in more than 150 countries across various regions including North America, South America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia-Pacific [2] Stock Performance - EL stock has experienced volatility, dropping 12% over the past five days and 10% in the last month, but has rebounded by 14% over the past three months and 13% in six months; however, it is down 2% year-to-date [3] - Over the past 52 weeks, EL stock is up 49%, but currently trades 15% lower than its high of $121.64 [3][4] Financial Results - In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Estée Lauder reported revenue of approximately $4.23 billion, a 6% year-over-year increase, matching Wall Street forecasts [7] - Net income for the quarter was $162 million, or $0.44 per share, with adjusted EPS of $0.89, exceeding analyst estimates by 6% [7] - Gross margin improved slightly to 76.5% from 76.1%, and adjusted operating income rose to $608 million, reflecting a 14.4% margin, up 290 basis points [8] - First-half operating cash flow surged to $785 million from $387 million, aided by lower capital expenditures [8] Outlook - Estée Lauder raised its full-year fiscal 2026 outlook, projecting net sales growth of 3% to 5% year-over-year, tightened from the previous 2% to 5% range [9] - Adjusted organic net sales are expected to rise 1% to 3%, up from the prior 0% to 3% forecast, with adjusted EPS guidance improved to between $2.05 and $2.25, indicating a growth of 36% to 49% [9]

Core Viewpoint - The Hardman Johnston Global Equity Strategy reported strong performance in global equity markets for Q4 2025, with a return of 2.91%, slightly below the MSCI AC World Net Index's gain of 3.29% [1] Group 1: Company Performance - The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) was highlighted as a key contributor to performance within the Consumer Staples sector, showing a turnaround with strong fiscal Q1 2026 results [2][3] - The stock of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. traded between $48.37 and $120.27 over the past 52 weeks, closing at $116.44 on January 27, 2026, with a market capitalization of $41.96 billion [2] - The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. reported a 3% year-over-year increase in net sales for Q3 2025, driven by double-digit growth in fragrance and modest growth in skincare [4] Group 2: Market Trends - The beauty sector is experiencing resilience, with both volume and value growth, and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is positioned well within this context, particularly benefiting from trends in luxury beauty [3] - The company has seen positive developments in key markets, including a successful 11/11 sales event in China, which accounts for 25% of its sales, and stabilization in the US market [3]

Company Overview - Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) has a market cap of $30.3 billion and is a specialty beauty retailer offering a variety of branded and private-label products, including cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skincare, and bath and body products, along with in-store beauty services [1] Financial Performance - Analysts expect Ulta to report an adjusted EPS of $7.91 for fiscal Q4 2025, which is a decrease of 6.5% from $8.46 in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2025, the forecasted adjusted EPS is $25.54, a slight increase from $25.34 in fiscal 2024, with an anticipated growth of 11.2% year-over-year to $28.41 in fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - Ulta Beauty's shares have increased by 62.9% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index's gain of 13.6% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF's return of 6.6% during the same period [4] - Following the Q3 2025 results announcement, Ulta's shares jumped 12.7% after reporting an EPS of $5.14 and revenue of $2.86 billion, driven by a 12.9% year-over-year increase in net sales and a gross margin expansion to 40.4% [5] Analyst Ratings - The consensus view on Ulta stock is cautiously optimistic, with an overall "Moderate Buy" rating from 26 analysts, including 16 recommending "Strong Buy," one suggesting "Moderate Buy," eight indicating "Hold," and one advising "Strong Sell" [6] - The stock is currently trading above the average analyst price target of $662.95 [6]

Core Insights - Ulta Beauty, Inc. has been highlighted as a strong performer in the stock market, achieving new highs consistently over recent weeks [1] - The company's new CEO, Kecia Steelman, has successfully led a significant turnaround since taking over a year ago, prompting recommendations to buy the stock [1] Company Overview - Ulta Beauty, Inc. specializes in cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products, and also provides in-store beauty services such as hair, makeup, brow, and skin treatments [2]

Core Insights - Five Below, Inc. (FIVE) shares increased by 4.1% following strong holiday sales and an improved outlook for Q4 and fiscal 2025, driven by solid demand for trend-right products and broad-based growth across its store base [1][10] Holiday Performance - Five Below reported net sales of $1.47 billion during the holiday period, marking a 23.2% increase from $1.19 billion in the same nine-week period the previous year [2] - Comparable sales rose by 14.5%, indicating strong same-store performance and broad-based demand across various categories [2] Management Commentary - Management noted that holiday results exceeded expectations, attributing the strong performance to the delivery of trend-right products, exceptional value, and an enhanced customer experience [3] - CEO Winnie Park emphasized the focus on engaging both children and adults, which strengthened the customer journey [3] Q4 and FY25 Outlook - For Q4, Five Below now anticipates sales of approximately $1.71 billion, with comparable sales growth projected at about 14.5%, an increase from previous expectations of $1.58 billion to $1.61 billion [5] - Earnings per share (EPS) expectations for Q4 have improved to a range of $3.93 to $3.98, compared to earlier guidance of $3.34 to $3.52 [6] - For fiscal 2025, the company expects net sales of approximately $4.75 billion and comparable sales growth of 12.5%, up from previous expectations of $4.62 billion to $4.65 billion [7] Full-Year Earnings Expectations - Full-year EPS is now projected to be between $6.10 and $6.15, with adjusted EPS expected in the range of $6.30 to $6.35, significantly higher than the earlier outlook of $5.51 to $5.69 [8] Strategic Focus - Five Below continues to target its core teen and pre-teen demographic with high-quality, trend-right products at exceptional value, refining its merchandising strategy to enhance category performance and optimize product selection [9] - The company's strategic focus and operational strength are expected to support sustained growth as it enters 2026 [11]

Group 1: Ulta Beauty - Ulta Beauty is a leading beauty retailer in the United States, offering a wide range of products including cosmetics, fragrance, skincare, hair care, bath and body products, and salon styling tools [1] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and has seen a 4.7% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - Ulta Beauty's shares gained 11% over the last three months, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 3.1%, and possesses a Momentum Score of A [2] Group 2: UiPath - UiPath provides an end-to-end platform for automation, combining Robotic Process Automation solutions for digital business operations [2] - The company also holds a Zacks Rank of 1 and has experienced a 3.1% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - UiPath's shares increased by 24.5% over the last three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 3.1%, and has a Momentum Score of A [3] Group 3: Slide Insurance Holdings, Inc. - Slide Insurance engages in underwriting single-family and condominium policies in the property and casualty industry primarily in the United States [3] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 and has seen a substantial 21% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [3] - Slide Insurance's shares rose by 23.9% over the last three months, again outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 3.1%, and possesses a Momentum Score of B [4]

Group 1: Company Performance - Hardman Johnston Global Advisors reported that its portfolio underperformed in Q3 2025, returning 5.02% net of fees compared to 7.62% for the MSCI AC World Net Index [1] - The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) experienced a one-month return of 13.66% and a 52-week gain of 45.10%, closing at $107.65 per share with a market capitalization of $38.793 billion on December 26, 2025 [2] - The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. saw a 3% year-over-year increase in net sales in Q3 2025, driven by double-digit growth in fragrance and modest low single-digit growth in skincare [4] Group 2: Investment Thesis - The investment thesis for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is supported by solid industry dynamics, with global beauty growing mid-single digits and luxury beauty growing faster [3] - The company is implementing "self-help" measures, recovering approximately 600 basis points in gross margin and over 1,000 basis points in operating margin, which is expected to drive strong double-digit earnings growth [3] - Despite the potential of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. as an investment, there are opinions that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk [4] Group 3: Market Position - The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 45 hedge fund portfolios holding the stock at the end of Q3 2025, down from 48 in the previous quarter [4] - The company is recognized as a leading player in a structurally attractive beauty industry that has been under-managed in recent years [3]

Group 1 - Tokyo Lifestyle Co., Ltd. announced an interim dividend of JPY 1.890 per share for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, which was paid on December 19, 2025, to shareholders of record as of September 30, 2025 [1] - The company operates as a retailer and wholesaler of various products including Japanese beauty and health products, sundry products, luxury products, electronic products, collectible cards, and trendy toys across multiple regions including Hong Kong, Japan, North America, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Australia [2] - Tokyo Lifestyle sells its products through directly-operated physical stores, online stores, and to franchise stores and wholesale customers [2]

All right, welcome back everybody. Black Friday is in full swing this morning and our next guest is powering many of those sales. Harley Finkelstein is the president of Shopify.And Harley, thank you for coming in today. >> Great to be here. >> You've got data that is not just up to the hour, but up to the almost minute.>> We do. Yeah, we have we have uh minute minutes to minute data. Right now, as we talked about, we have about 12% of all US e-commerce on Shopify.Obviously, most people think that we support ...

Core Insights - Elf Beauty forecasted annual sales and profit below Wall Street estimates due to higher tariff costs and cautious consumer spending, resulting in a 26% drop in shares during extended trading [1] - The company missed expectations for second quarter sales and provided a fiscal 2026 forecast after previously pulling it in May [1] Financial Performance - Elf Beauty expects over $50 million in annual costs from higher U.S. tariffs on imports in fiscal 2026, with China accounting for about 75% of its global production [2] - Gross margin fell approximately 165 basis points to 69% for the quarter ended September 30 [2] - Quarterly adjusted earnings per share were 68 cents, exceeding estimates of 57 cents, following a $1 price increase in August, with no additional price increases planned [3] - Quarterly sales totaled $343.9 million, missing expectations of $366.4 million [4] Market Position and Strategy - The company is streamlining its supply chain and diversifying operations to mitigate tariff impacts, as lower-income shoppers are seeking cheaper alternatives and reducing non-essential purchases [3] - CEO Tarang Amin noted a lack of major product launches compared to the previous year, which had significant success with lip oils [5] Future Outlook - Full-year net sales are expected to be between $1.55 billion and $1.57 billion, below analysts' estimates of $1.65 billion [6] - Adjusted profit is estimated to be in the range of $2.80 to $2.85 per share, also below estimates of $3.58 per share [6]