Fabrizio Freda on financial guidance
From Estee Lauder Companies Inc ($EL) Q2 2026 Earnings Call · · Castify Earnings Call
“We are raising our fiscal 26 outlook today by narrowing the organic sales growth range towards the high end, increasing operating margin expansion from 165 to 200 basis point at the midpoint, reflecting previously expected headwind like tariffs and now greater consumer-facing investment and raising EPS growth from 33 to 43% at the midpoint.”
On , Fabrizio Freda, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at Estee Lauder Companies Inc, spoke about financial guidance during Estee Lauder Companies Inc ($EL) Q2 2026 Earnings Call on Castify Earnings Call.
About Fabrizio Freda
Fabrizio Freda, president and CEO of Estée Lauder Companies, discussed the company’s fiscal 2026 first-quarter results on an October 31, 2025 earnings call, reporting organic sales growth of 3% and a sequential acceleration from a 13% decline in the prior quarter. He stated that the company had returned to appropriate inventory levels in travel retail and noted that retail sales in China increased double digits, outperforming the prestige beauty market. Freda also announced a new partnership with Shopify to modernize the company’s direct-to-consumer business and reaffirmed the full-year outlook. On a January 30, 2026 earnings call covering the second quarter, Freda reported 4% organic sales growth, operating margin expansion, and 43% EPS growth. He said the company was raising its fiscal 2026 outlook, narrowing organic sales growth toward the high end of the range and increasing operating margin expansion expectations. Freda attributed the momentum to the “beauty reimagine” restructuring initiative, describing a simplified organizational structure with fewer layers. He noted that in mainland China, the company again outperformed prestige beauty with double-digit growth and gained share for the quarter and calendar year 2025, led by La Mer and Tom Ford.