Estee Lauder's Longtime CFO Travis to Depart Next Year

An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)
An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)
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Estee Lauder's Longtime CFO Travis to Depart Next Year

An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)
An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)

Estee Lauder said on Thursday that Tracey Travis would be stepping down and retiring from her 12-year role as the MAC lipstick maker's finance chief, effective June 30, 2025.

The company said a successor for Travis has been identified and will be named in the coming weeks. Travis will work closely with this person to ensure a smooth and successful transition, it added.

Travis, who has been Estee Lauder's CFO since Aug. 2012, had joined the company from Ralph Lauren, where she served as finance chief for over seven years.

Under her leadership, Estee Lauder has significantly strengthened financially, made extensive investments in innovation and digital transformation, and also made several acquisitions of companies including Tom Ford and Deciem, among others.

"Tracey has been instrumental in growing Estee Lauder from a $24 billion market cap company in 2012 to over $135 billion at peak," Jefferies analyst Ashley Helgans said in a note earlier on Thursday.

"A fresh set of eyes on the business could be beneficial given the recent volatility and would allow for the company to reset the growth algorithm," Helgans added.

The company had lowered its annual organic sales estimate in May on persistent softness in mainland China's prestige beauty space, even as a demand rebound for its pricey items in the US and Asia-Pacific markets drove a profit forecast raise.

Shares of Estee Lauder, which have dropped more than 30% this year, were marginally up in after-hours trading.



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.