Operating Expenses

Total Operating Expenses

Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Total Operating Expenses decreased by 8.7% to $2.59B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 9.9%, from $2.36B to $2.59B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows an upward trend with a 3.9% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026

How to read this metric

An increase faster than revenue growth suggests declining operating margins, while slower growth indicates effective cost control.

Detailed definition

Total operating expenses represent the sum of all costs incurred to operate the business, excluding the cost of goods so...

Peer comparison

Used to calculate operating margin; peers in the healthcare sector monitor this closely to manage profitability against R&D requirements.

Metric ID: total_operating_expenses

Historical Data

20 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Value$2.72B$2.40B$2.90B$2.51B$2.45B$2.25B$2.85B$2.30B$2.45B$2.35B$2.55B$2.30B$3.01B$2.55B$3.63B$2.36B$2.85B$2.39B$2.83B$2.59B
QoQ Change-11.6%+20.8%-13.3%-2.5%-8.4%+26.7%-19.3%+6.8%-4.1%+8.6%-9.8%+30.8%-15.2%+42.0%-35.1%+20.8%-16.2%+18.8%-8.7%
YoY Change-9.8%-6.4%-1.8%-8.7%+0.0%+4.6%-10.3%+0.3%+22.8%+8.7%+42.2%+2.3%-5.5%-6.6%-21.9%+9.9%
Range$2.25B$3.63B
CAGR-1.0%
Avg YoY Growth+1.2%
Median YoY Growth-0.9%

Total Operating Expenses at Other Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Estee Lauder Companies Inc.'s total operating expenses?
Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) reported total operating expenses of $2.59B in Q1 2026.
How has Estee Lauder Companies Inc.'s total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
Estee Lauder Companies Inc.'s total operating expenses increased by 9.9% year-over-year, from $2.36B to $2.59B.
What is the long-term trend for Estee Lauder Companies Inc.'s total operating expenses?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Estee Lauder Companies Inc.'s total operating expenses has grown at a 3.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $9.76B to $11.38B.
What does total operating expenses mean?
The total cost of running the business, including all non-production expenses.