Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL) and the best and worst performers in the personal care industry.

While personal care 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 9 personal care stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 3.5% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 2.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

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 $3.71 billion, up 4.6% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

“Our third quarter results extend strong year-to-date performance, driven by Beauty Reimagined,” said Stéphane de La Faverie, President and CEO.

Interestingly, the stock is up 5.6% since reporting and currently trades at $81.

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

Best Q1: 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 $250.2 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 7.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $20.64.

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

Weakest Q1: Herbalife (NYSE: HLF)

With the first products sold out of the trunk of the founder’s car, Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) today offers a portfolio of shakes, supplements, personal care products, and weight management programs to help customers reach their nutritional and fitness goals.

Herbalife reported revenues of $1.32 billion, up 7.8% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

As expected, the stock is down 22.9% since the results and currently trades at $12.67.

Read our full analysis of Herbalife’s results here.

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 $76.04 million, down 34.3% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 9.9%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged EPS guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Medifast achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat and highest full-year guidance raise, but had the weakest guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 1.7% since reporting and currently trades at $10.45.

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

Coty (NYSE: COTY)

With a portfolio boasting many household brands, Coty (NYSE: COTY) is a beauty products powerhouse spanning cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare.

Coty reported revenues of $1.28 billion, down 1.3% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 24.1% since reporting and currently trades at $1.94.

Read our full, actionable report on Coty 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.