We recently published a list of 12 Large-Cap Stocks Insiders Were Buying in Q1 2025 Before Trump’s Tariff Shockwave. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) stands against other large-cap stocks insiders were buying in Q1 2025 before Trump’s tariff shockwave.

US stocks surged last week following President Trump’s statement that he had “no intention” of removing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which helped alleviate concerns about the central bank’s independence. Additionally, Trump took a more conciliatory stance on tariffs, suggesting that high import duties on China might eventually be reduced, writes Yahoo Finance.

Amid tariff wars and market uncertainty, insider trading often draws attention. Insider stock purchases may signal executive confidence, while sales aren’t necessarily negative—they could reflect personal or diversification choices. It’s best to view insider trading in context with a company’s financials and market conditions.

Our Methodology

Today, we’re focusing on stocks that have seen heavy insider buying activity in the first quarter of the year. Using Insider Monkey’s insider trading screener, we identified companies with market caps above $10 billion, where at least two insiders purchased shares in the past three months. From this list, we ranked the top 12 stocks with the highest value of insider purchases

Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds, focusing on insider trading and stock picks from hedge fund investor newsletters and conferences. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

A close-up of a customer's hands selecting beauty products from an online retailer.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL)

Market cap: $19.59 billion

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) manufactures and sells skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. Its brands include Estée Lauder, Clinique, M·A·C, and La Mer, among others. The company distributes products through department stores, specialty retailers, salons, and online platforms. It is also considered one of the 12 best cosmetics stocks to buy for 2025.

During the first quarter of the year, two insiders, including the company’s CFO, purchased around $8.73 million worth of Estée Lauder shares at an average price of $66.16 per share. Year-to-date, the stock is down 29.3.63% and is trading at $57.26. Over the past 12 months, Estée Lauder shares have lost 61.14%.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) reported a 6% drop in net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, totaling $4.0 billion. Despite lower sales, the gross margin improved to 76.1% due to cost-saving efforts. However, operating margin fell to -14.5% because of impairment and restructuring charges. The company also reported a loss per share of $1.64, compared to earnings per share of $0.87 last year. Cash flow from operations declined to $387 million, and capital spending was at $273 million. The company also paid $366 million in dividends.

Overall, EL ranks 2nd on our list of large-cap stocks insiders were buying in Q1 2025 before Trump’s tariff shockwave. While we acknowledge the potential of EL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

 

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

 

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.