JPMorgan analyst Andrea Teixeira downgraded Estee Lauder to Neutral and lowered her price target for the shares to $138 from $154. There may be a deceleration in the travel retail channel ahead now that Chinese customs agents are implementing tighter controls at the border, according to local source, Teixeira tells investors in a research note. Further, she believes the de-rating in luxury peers related to the group's "outsized exposure" to Chinese consumers will likely put a cap on Estee Lauder's valuation as well. The analyst also sees less opportunity for earnings beats on margins in the near term given tariff costs.

Deutsche Bank placed a "Catalyst Call: Buy" on Estee Lauder as a short-term investment idea. The analyst views the setup into Estee's fiscal Q3 results on May 1 "skewing positively." The firm sees the company as likely to report "in-line-to-better" results versus Street estimates, including confirmation that long-standing China travel retail inventory backlogs have been cleared, while reiterating fiscal 2024 guidance.