$210M Estée Lauder Securities Settlement

Estée Lauder $210 million securities class action settlement — EL stock investors 2022–2025

Published: June 14, 2026

Status Claims Open

Claim Deadline August 5, 2026 settlement hearing August 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET · exclude/object by July 30, 2026

Estimated Payout ~$0.68 per damaged share (before fees) $210,000,000 cash fund · ~$0.46/share after fees · pro rata by Recognized Loss · no payment under $10.00

Proof Required Yes brokerage confirmations or account statements of your EL trades

What Is the Estée Lauder Securities Settlement About?

If you bought stock in The Estée Lauder Companies — the global beauty company behind brands such as Estée Lauder, Clinique, M·A·C, and La Mer — at any point between February 3, 2022 and February 3, 2025, you may be owed money from a $210 million securities class action settlement. Here is what happened and what it means for you, in plain English.

The case is In re The Estée Lauder Co., Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:23-cv-10669-AS, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York before the Honorable Arun Subramanian. The parties agreed to settle for $210,000,000 in cash after a mediator's proposal that the parties accepted in April 2026. Estée Lauder denies all allegations, and the court did not decide who was right — the settlement is a compromise that ends the litigation and provides a guaranteed cash recovery for the class.

What Is Estée Lauder?

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world's leading prestige beauty companies, manufacturing and selling skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare products worldwide. Its business includes a travel-retail segment that sells products in duty-free locations such as airports and on cruise ships.

During the period covered by this settlement, Estée Lauder's common stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol EL. If you owned shares through a brokerage account, a retirement account like an IRA or 401(k), or any other investment account, you may have held Estée Lauder stock.

What Is a Securities Class Action?

When you buy stock in a company, you are relying on the company's public statements — earnings reports, press releases, SEC filings — to be accurate. Federal securities laws require companies to tell the truth about their business. If a company or its executives make false or misleading statements that artificially inflate the stock price, and you buy at that inflated price, you lose money when the truth comes out and the stock drops. A securities class action is a lawsuit filed on behalf of all the investors who were harmed by those misrepresentations. Instead of each investor filing separately, one lawsuit covers everyone.

A settlement means the company agrees to pay a sum of money to compensate those investors rather than risk a trial. The money is distributed proportionally based on when you bought, how many shares you held, and when (or if) you sold.

What Did Estée Lauder Allegedly Do?

The lawsuit alleged that Estée Lauder and two of its senior executives made materially false and misleading statements and omissions about the source and sustainability of the company's success in its travel-retail business.

In plain terms, a resale practice known as daigou exists in certain Asian markets, in which resellers bulk-buy luxury goods at reduced, duty-free prices and resell them to end-consumers in mainland China at below-retail prices. The complaint alleged that Estée Lauder relied heavily on daigou to generate high-volume, unsustainable sales in its travel-retail segment, and that the company did not adequately disclose this reliance. According to the allegations, this kept Estée Lauder's stock price artificially inflated during the class period.

As corrective information reached the market through a series of disclosures, Estée Lauder's stock price declined, and investors who had bought at inflated prices lost money. Estée Lauder denies all allegations of wrongdoing, and the settlement is not an admission of liability by anyone.

Do I Qualify?

You qualify if you purchased or otherwise acquired the publicly traded common stock of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) during the period from February 3, 2022 through February 3, 2025 (both dates inclusive) and were allegedly damaged as a result.

To have a recognized loss, you generally must have held shares through at least one of the alleged corrective disclosure dates. If you bought and sold all of your shares before the first corrective disclosure, your recognized loss may be zero. Only Estée Lauder publicly traded common stock (ticker: EL) is eligible for recovery under the Plan of Allocation.

Some people and entities are excluded by definition, including the defendants, the company's officers and directors during the class period and their immediate families, and certain affiliated entities. If one of your mutual funds held Estée Lauder stock, that alone does not make you a class member — you must have individually purchased or acquired the shares.

How Much Can You Get?

The total settlement fund is $210 million in cash, plus interest. After deductions for Court-approved attorneys' fees (Lead Counsel will request up to 32% of the fund, or $67,200,000), litigation expenses (up to $875,000), notice and administration costs, and taxes, the remaining net settlement fund is distributed to eligible claimants under a pro rata Plan of Allocation based on each claimant's Recognized Loss.

The estimated average recovery is approximately $0.68 per allegedly damaged share before fee deductions, and approximately $0.46 per share after fees and expenses. These are only estimates — your actual payment depends on when you bought and sold, how many shares you held, and how many valid claims are filed. If your calculated distribution is less than $10.00, no payment will be made.

How Do I File a Claim?

You must submit a Proof of Claim and Release form with supporting documentation showing your Estée Lauder stock transactions during the relevant periods. This means brokerage confirmations, account statements, or similar records showing the dates you bought and sold EL shares and the prices you paid. Self-generated spreadsheets or emails are not sufficient.

Claims can be submitted online at the official settlement website or by mail. The deadline is August 5, 2026.

Keep in mind: the parties do not have your transaction records. You must provide them yourself. If you no longer have your brokerage statements, contact your broker or financial institution to request copies. If you lost your notice or need help, use the contact page on the official settlement website rather than responding to unsolicited messages.

Claim Form Website: EsteeLauderSecuritiesSettlement.com

Submit Claim

Key Estée Lauder Settlement Deadlines

• Class Period: February 3, 2022 through February 3, 2025 (inclusive)
• Opt-out (exclusion) deadline: July 30, 2026
• Objection deadline: July 30, 2026
• Claim Form deadline: submitted online or postmarked by August 5, 2026
• Settlement Hearing: August 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Courtroom 15A, 500 Pearl Street, New York

What Happens If I Do Nothing?

If you do nothing, you will not receive any payment. You will still be bound by the settlement and give up your right to sue Estée Lauder and the other released parties separately over the same claims. To be eligible for your share of the $210 million, you must file a claim by August 5, 2026.

Watch Out for Settlement Scams

With any securities settlement, be cautious about how you file and who you share information with:

• Use the official Settlement Website only: EsteeLauderSecuritiesSettlement.com. Bookmark it, and be wary of emails or texts linking to a similar-looking page on a different domain.
• Never pay a fee. Legitimate class action settlements never charge an activation, release, or processing fee to send you your money.
• Share only what is needed. The Claims Administrator needs your transaction documentation and contact details — not banking passwords or unrelated personal data.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Estée Lauder Settlement

How much will I get from the Estée Lauder settlement?

The estimated average recovery is approximately $0.68 per allegedly damaged share before deductions, or roughly $0.46 per share after deductions for attorneys' fees and litigation expenses. Your actual payment depends on when you bought and sold your Estée Lauder shares and how many valid claims are filed against the $210 million fund. No payment of less than $10.00 will be distributed.

Who qualifies for the Estée Lauder securities settlement?

All persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired the publicly traded common stock of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) during the period from February 3, 2022 through February 3, 2025, both dates inclusive, and were allegedly damaged. To have a recognized loss, you generally must have held shares through at least one of the alleged corrective disclosure dates. Defendants, company officers and directors during the class period, and their immediate families are excluded.

What did Estée Lauder allegedly do wrong?

The lawsuit alleged that Estée Lauder and two senior executives made materially false and misleading statements about the source and sustainability of its travel-retail business, specifically its allegedly undisclosed reliance on daigou — resellers who bulk-buy duty-free goods and resell them in mainland China. Investors alleged this inflated the stock price, which fell as the truth emerged. Estée Lauder denies all allegations, and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.

What proof do I need to file an Estée Lauder claim?

Yes, documentation is required. You must submit a Proof of Claim and Release form with brokerage confirmations or account statements showing the dates, share quantities, and prices of your Estée Lauder (EL) purchases, acquisitions, and sales during the relevant periods. Self-generated spreadsheets or emails are not sufficient. The parties do not have your transaction records, so you must provide them.

What is the deadline to file an Estée Lauder claim?

The Claim Form must be submitted online or postmarked no later than August 5, 2026. The deadline to exclude yourself from or object to the settlement is July 30, 2026, and the Court's settlement hearing is scheduled for August 20, 2026.

Official Settlement Notice

Sources

• Notice of Pendency of Class Action, Proposed Settlement, and Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Expenses, In re The Estée Lauder Co., Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:23-cv-10669-AS (S.D.N.Y.)
• Proof of Claim and Release Form, In re The Estée Lauder Co., Inc. Securities Litigation
• Official Settlement Website: EsteeLauderSecuritiesSettlement.com
• Lead Counsel: Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP; Vanoverbeke Michaud & Timmony P.C.
• Claims Administrator: Epiq

Filing Class Action Settlement Claims

Please submit only truthful information through the official Settlement Website, and document your EL transactions accurately. The official Settlement Website is the authoritative source for benefit amounts, deadlines, and filing instructions. If you are unsure whether you qualify, contact the Claims Administrator through the Settlement Website. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not the Claims Administrator, Lead Counsel, or a law firm, and we do not process or decide claims.

Settlement Amount $210,000,000

Case Title In re The Estée Lauder Co., Inc. Securities Litigation

Case Number 1:23-cv-10669-AS

Court U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Class Period February 3, 2022 – February 3, 2025

Claim Deadline August 5, 2026

Settlement Hearing August 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET Courtroom 15A, 500 Pearl Street, New York

Lead Counsel Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP; Vanoverbeke Michaud & Timmony P.C.

Administrator Epiq

Official Website Estee Lauder Securities Settlement.com

For more class actions keep scrolling below.