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Side-by-side financial comparison of Estée Lauder Companies (The) (EL) and Waste Management (WM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waste Management is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($6.2B vs $4.2B, roughly 1.5× Estée Lauder Companies (The)). Waste Management runs the higher net margin — 11.6% vs 3.8%, a 7.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Estée Lauder Companies (The) posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (5.6% vs 3.5%). Estée Lauder Companies (The) produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.0B vs $981.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Waste Management's revenue compounded faster (7.4% CAGR vs 3.6%).

Estée Lauder was an American businesswoman. She co-founded her eponymous cosmetics company with her husband, Joseph Lauter. Lauder was the only woman on Time magazine's 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century.

Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, and economic mechanisms.

EL vs WM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WM
WM
1.5× larger
WM
$6.2B
$4.2B
EL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
EL
EL
+2.1% gap
EL
5.6%
3.5%
WM
Higher net margin
WM
WM
7.8% more per $
WM
11.6%
3.8%
EL
More free cash flow
EL
EL
$36.0M more FCF
EL
$1.0B
$981.0M
WM
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WM
WM
Annualised
WM
7.4%
3.6%
EL

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
EL
EL
WM
WM
Revenue
$4.2B
$6.2B
Net Profit
$162.0M
$723.0M
Gross Margin
76.5%
Operating Margin
9.5%
17.9%
Net Margin
3.8%
11.6%
Revenue YoY
5.6%
3.5%
Net Profit YoY
127.5%
13.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.44
$1.79

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$6.2B
Q4 25
$4.2B
$6.3B
Q3 25
$3.5B
$6.4B
Q2 25
$3.4B
$6.4B
Q1 25
$3.5B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$4.0B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$3.4B
$5.6B
Q2 24
$3.9B
$5.4B
Net Profit
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$723.0M
Q4 25
$162.0M
$742.0M
Q3 25
$47.0M
$603.0M
Q2 25
$-546.0M
$726.0M
Q1 25
$159.0M
$637.0M
Q4 24
$-590.0M
$598.0M
Q3 24
$-156.0M
$760.0M
Q2 24
$-286.0M
$680.0M
Gross Margin
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
Q4 25
76.5%
41.5%
Q3 25
73.4%
40.5%
Q2 25
72.0%
40.3%
Q1 25
75.0%
39.4%
Q4 24
76.1%
39.7%
Q3 24
72.4%
39.4%
Q2 24
71.8%
39.1%
Operating Margin
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
17.9%
Q4 25
9.5%
18.3%
Q3 25
4.9%
15.3%
Q2 25
-11.4%
17.9%
Q1 25
8.6%
16.8%
Q4 24
-14.5%
15.6%
Q3 24
-3.6%
20.0%
Q2 24
-6.0%
18.7%
Net Margin
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
11.6%
Q4 25
3.8%
11.8%
Q3 25
1.4%
9.4%
Q2 25
-16.0%
11.3%
Q1 25
4.5%
10.6%
Q4 24
-14.7%
10.1%
Q3 24
-4.6%
13.5%
Q2 24
-7.4%
12.6%
EPS (diluted)
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$1.79
Q4 25
$0.44
$1.83
Q3 25
$0.13
$1.49
Q2 25
$-1.52
$1.80
Q1 25
$0.44
$1.58
Q4 24
$-1.64
$1.49
Q3 24
$-0.43
$1.88
Q2 24
$-0.79
$1.69

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
EL
EL
WM
WM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$158.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$7.3B
$22.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$4.0B
$10.0B
Total Assets
$19.6B
$45.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.82×
2.28×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$158.0M
Q4 25
$201.0M
Q3 25
$175.0M
Q2 25
$440.0M
Q1 25
$216.0M
Q4 24
$414.0M
Q3 24
$614.0M
Q2 24
$172.0M
Total Debt
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$22.9B
Q4 25
$7.3B
$22.2B
Q3 25
$7.3B
$22.5B
Q2 25
$7.3B
$23.1B
Q1 25
$7.3B
$22.9B
Q4 24
$7.3B
$22.5B
Q3 24
$7.3B
$16.0B
Q2 24
$7.3B
$16.5B
Stockholders' Equity
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$10.0B
Q4 25
$4.0B
$10.0B
Q3 25
$3.9B
$9.5B
Q2 25
$3.9B
$9.2B
Q1 25
$4.3B
$8.7B
Q4 24
$4.2B
$8.3B
Q3 24
$5.1B
$8.0B
Q2 24
$5.3B
$7.5B
Total Assets
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$45.7B
Q4 25
$19.6B
$45.8B
Q3 25
$19.3B
$45.6B
Q2 25
$19.9B
$45.7B
Q1 25
$19.9B
$44.5B
Q4 24
$19.8B
$44.6B
Q3 24
$21.3B
$34.7B
Q2 24
$21.7B
$34.0B
Debt / Equity
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
2.28×
Q4 25
1.82×
2.22×
Q3 25
1.88×
2.36×
Q2 25
1.89×
2.51×
Q1 25
1.68×
2.65×
Q4 24
1.75×
2.73×
Q3 24
1.44×
2.00×
Q2 24
1.37×
2.21×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
EL
EL
WM
WM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.1B
$1.5B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.0B
$981.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
24.0%
15.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
6.94×
2.08×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.1B
$3.4B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$1.7B
Q3 25
$-340.0M
$1.6B
Q2 25
$601.0M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$284.0M
$1.2B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$1.5B
Q3 24
$-670.0M
$1.4B
Q2 24
$889.0M
$1.2B
Free Cash Flow
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
$981.0M
Q4 25
$1.0B
$810.0M
Q3 25
$-436.0M
$816.0M
Q2 25
$394.0M
$813.0M
Q1 25
$162.0M
$377.0M
Q4 24
$925.0M
$396.0M
Q3 24
$-811.0M
$577.0M
Q2 24
$672.0M
$487.0M
FCF Margin
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
15.8%
Q4 25
24.0%
12.8%
Q3 25
-12.5%
12.7%
Q2 25
11.6%
12.6%
Q1 25
4.6%
6.3%
Q4 24
23.1%
6.7%
Q3 24
-24.1%
10.3%
Q2 24
17.4%
9.0%
Capex Intensity
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.6%
14.1%
Q3 25
2.8%
12.0%
Q2 25
6.1%
11.4%
Q1 25
3.4%
13.8%
Q4 24
3.3%
18.9%
Q3 24
4.2%
13.9%
Q2 24
5.6%
12.3%
Cash Conversion
EL
EL
WM
WM
Q1 26
2.08×
Q4 25
6.94×
2.29×
Q3 25
-7.23×
2.64×
Q2 25
2.13×
Q1 25
1.79×
1.90×
Q4 24
2.53×
Q3 24
1.79×
Q2 24
1.70×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

EL
EL

Skin Care$2.1B49%
Makeup$1.2B28%
Fragrance$812.0M19%
Hair Care$168.0M4%
Other$31.0M1%

WM
WM

Segment breakdown not available.

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