e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF) Shares Gap Up Following Earnings Beat

Shares of e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $84.63, but opened at $92.00. e.l.f. Beauty shares last traded at $81.5480, with a volume of 2,030,149 shares trading hands.

The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $489.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $461.78 million. e.l.f. Beauty had a return on equity of 15.08% and a net margin of 6.84%.The firm’s revenue was up 37.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.74 earnings per share. e.l.f. Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.050-3.100 EPS.

Key Stories Impacting e.l.f. Beauty

Here are the key news stories impacting e.l.f. Beauty this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Big Q3 beat and raised FY guidance — ELF reported $1.24 EPS vs. ~$0.72 consensus and $489.5M revenue (up 37.8% YoY); management raised FY26 EPS guidance to $3.05–3.10, which investors view as evidence of reaccelerating growth. Earnings Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing payoff — CFO Mandy Fields says Super Bowl ads lifted brand awareness from ~10% to ~40%, supporting customer acquisition and the rhode rollout momentum. This helps the revenue outlook and justifies elevated marketing spend. How e.l.f. Beauty has used Super Bowl ads…
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and price‑target increases — Multiple firms bumped targets and reiterated positive views (JPMorgan raised to $105 OW; BofA reaffirmed Buy with $115 target), reinforcing the rally and signaling institutional interest. Benzinga note on JPMorgan
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional flow turning constructive — MarketBeat notes institutions returned to accumulation in early 2026, which supports price strength but creates risk if selling resumes. MarketBeat: Reversal in Play
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns on valuation and durability of growth — Some analysts and commentary flagged that the guidance, while raised, was viewed by parts of the market as modest vs. expectations and noted margin pressure from higher SG&A and some gross‑margin contraction. Guidance lift seen as modest
• Neutral Sentiment: Management tone and investor Q&A — CEO/CFO characterized momentum post‑Hailey Bieber deal as “incredible/great,” supporting confidence but leaving questions about how sustainably rhode scales versus legacy brands. CEO rejects growth fears

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ELF. Zacks Research raised e.l.f. Beauty from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on e.l.f. Beauty from $165.00 to $136.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on e.l.f. Beauty from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on e.l.f. Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $110.00 target price for the company. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.75.

Institutional Trading of e.l.f. Beauty

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ELF. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new stake in e.l.f. Beauty in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in e.l.f. Beauty by 97.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 260 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 58.5% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 317 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management grew its position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 129.1% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 394 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of e.l.f. Beauty during the second quarter worth approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.44% of the company’s stock.

e.l.f. Beauty Price Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average is $82.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $105.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.20 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

e.l.f. Beauty Company Profile

e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is an American cosmetics company known for offering an extensive range of affordable, trend-driven makeup and skincare products. The company’s portfolio spans foundations, lipsticks, mascaras, brushes, serums, masks and other beauty essentials, all positioned at accessible price points. e.l.f. Beauty maintains a direct-to-consumer platform through its e-commerce site and engages in widespread retail partnerships with major chains such as Target, Walmart, Ulta Beauty and Amazon.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Oakland, California, e.l.f.