As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at personal care stocks, starting with USANA (NYSE: USNA).

While personal care products products may seem more discretionary than food, consumers tend to maintain or even boost their spending on the category during tough times. This phenomenon is known as "the lipstick effect" by economists, which states that consumers still want some semblance of affordable luxuries like beauty and wellness when the economy is sputtering. Consumer tastes are constantly changing, and personal care companies are currently responding to the public’s increased desire for ethically produced goods by featuring natural ingredients in their products.

The 10 personal care stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.9% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.8% above.

While some personal care stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2% since the latest earnings results.

USANA (NYSE: USNA)

Going to market with a direct selling model rather than through traditional retailers, USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA) manufactures and sells nutritional, personal care, and skincare products.

USANA reported revenues of $226.2 million, up 5.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

“USANA delivered fourth quarter net sales in line with our preliminary results announced on January 12, 2026,” said Kevin Guest, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

The stock is down 7.1% since reporting and currently trades at $19.20.

Is now the time to buy USANA? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF)

Short for "eyes, lips, face", e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is a developer of high-quality beauty products at accessible price points.

e.l.f. Beauty reported revenues of $489.5 million, up 37.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.4%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

e.l.f. Beauty pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 21.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $66.45.

Is now the time to buy e.l.f. Beauty? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE: EPC)

Boasting brands such as Banana Boat, Schick, and Skintimate, Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE: EPC) sells personal care products in the skin and sun care, shave, and feminine care categories.

Edgewell Personal Care reported revenues of $422.8 million, up 1.9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 11.6%. It was a softer quarter as it posted full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Edgewell Personal Care delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 12.8% since the results and currently trades at $23.41.

Read our full analysis of Edgewell Personal Care’s results here.

Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL)

Named after its founder, who was an entrepreneurial woman from New York with a passion for skincare, Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL) is a one-stop beauty shop with products in skincare, fragrance, makeup, sun protection, and men’s grooming.

Estée Lauder reported revenues of $4.23 billion, up 5.6% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 35.1% since reporting and currently trades at $77.68.

Read our full, actionable report on Estée Lauder here, it’s free.

Medifast (NYSE: MED)

Known for its Optavia program that combines portion-controlled meal replacements with coaching, Medifast (NYSE: MED) has a broad product portfolio of bars, snacks, drinks, and desserts for those looking to lose weight or consume healthier foods.

Medifast reported revenues of $75.1 million, down 36.9% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. More broadly, it was a slower quarter as it recorded full-year revenue and EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Medifast achieved the highest full-year guidance raise but had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 1.4% since reporting and currently trades at $10.95.

Read our full, actionable report on Medifast here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.