Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Medifast (NYSE: MED) and the best and worst performers in the personal care industry.

While personal care products may seem more discretionary than food, consumers tend to maintain or even boost their spending on the category during tough times. This phenomenon is known as "the lipstick effect" by economists, which states that consumers still want some semblance of affordable luxuries like beauty and wellness when the economy is sputtering. Consumer tastes are constantly changing, and personal care companies are currently responding to the public’s increased desire for ethically produced goods by featuring natural ingredients in their products.

The 9 personal care stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 3.5% below.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 8.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Medifast (NYSE: MED)

Known for its Optavia program that combines portion-controlled meal replacements with coaching, Medifast (NYSE: MED) has a broad product portfolio of bars, snacks, drinks, and desserts for those looking to lose weight or consume healthier foods.

Medifast reported revenues of $76.04 million, down 34.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 9.9%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with EPS guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

"We are encouraged by the continued progress we are seeing as we execute our metabolic health strategy, including a second consecutive quarter of year-over-year coach productivity growth, strong coach leadership advancement, and high field engagement. These are metrics that have historically been leading indicators of future growth. Backed by our differentiated science, coach-led model, and a disciplined approach to managing costs, we believe we are well positioned to drive improved performance through the remainder of 2026 and a return to sustainable, long-term growth in the years ahead,” said Dan Chard, CEO of Medifast.

Medifast achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat and highest full-year guidance raise, but had the weakest guidance update in the group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 5.8% since reporting and currently trades at $11.25.

Is now the time to buy Medifast? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: USANA (NYSE: USNA)

Going to market with a direct selling model rather than through traditional retailers, USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA) manufactures and sells nutritional, personal care, and skincare products.

USANA reported revenues of $250.2 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 12.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $21.69.

Is now the time to buy USANA? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Herbalife (NYSE: HLF)

With the first products sold out of the trunk of the founder’s car, Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) today offers a portfolio of shakes, supplements, personal care products, and weight management programs to help customers reach their nutritional and fitness goals.

Herbalife reported revenues of $1.32 billion, up 7.8% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

As expected, the stock is down 20.4% since the results and currently trades at $13.09.

Read our full analysis of Herbalife’s results here.

e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF)

Short for "eyes, lips, face", e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is a developer of high-quality beauty products at accessible price points.

e.l.f. Beauty reported revenues of $449.3 million, up 35.1% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 5.8%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also logged a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

e.l.f. Beauty achieved the fastest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is up 47.6% since reporting and currently trades at $74.85.

Read our full, actionable report on e.l.f. Beauty here, it’s free.

Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL)

Named after its founder, who was an entrepreneurial woman from New York with a passion for skincare, Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL) is a one-stop beauty shop with products in skincare, fragrance, makeup, sun protection, and men’s grooming.

Estée Lauder reported revenues of $3.71 billion, up 4.6% year on year. This number was in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a very strong quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 5.3% since reporting and currently trades at $80.80.

Read our full, actionable report on Estée Lauder here, it’s free.

Market Update

Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.

Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.

By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.