Estee Lauder Cos. said “there is no truth” to rumors that it’s in talks for a potential sale or merger.
“The Estee Lauder Companies is not for sale,” Executive Chairman William Lauder and Chief Executive Offer Fabrizio Freda said to employees Sunday in an internal memo, which was obtained by Bloomberg News. The family and the board place “great value in remaining independent,” the New York-based company said. Estee Lauder “is strong and we have excellent momentum going forward.”
Potential Suitors
A CNBC report earlier month said Procter & Gamble Co. might be interested in Estee Lauder, while Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Andrew Wood wrote in a note to clients that Unilever and L’Oreal could be good suitors.
The Lauder family controls about 87 percent of Estee Lauder shares, whose value have risen 39 percent this year through Friday’s close. The stock fell as much as 2.1 percent to $104.30 on Monday.
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