10 Firms Facing a Rough March So Far

5. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL)

Estee Lauder slashed its share prices by 8.48 percent on Monday to finish at $100.19 apiece, as investors unloaded portfolios following the record date of its next dividend payment, while mirroring a mostly pessimistic broader market.

On March 16, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) is scheduled to pay $0.35 dividends per share held by its shareholders of record on February 27. Investors immediately sold portfolios after the ex-date, while in a wait-and-see mode amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

The dividends followed the company’s strong earnings performance for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, with The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) swinging to a net income of $162 million from a $590 million net loss in the same period a year earlier.

Net sales also jumped by 6 percent to $4.2 billion from $4 billion year-on-year.

In the six-month period, net income stood at $209 million, reversing a $746 million net loss, while net sales inched up by 5 percent to $7.7 billion from $7.36 billion year-on-year.

For the full fiscal 2026, organic net sales are targeted to grow by 1 to 3 percent, with the mainland China operations expected to increase by mid-single digit growth, while the Americas would remain flat.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) also expects to incur $100 million of unfavorable impact from tariffs, most of which would come in the second half of the fiscal year.