Bear of the Day: Helen of Troy (HELE)

Helen of Troy Limited HELE is facing a management shake-up and a tariff hit. This Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) is expected to see earnings decline by 15.6% in fiscal 2026.Helen of Troy is a global consumer products company in two business segments: Beauty & Wellness and Home & Outdoor. It has many well-known brands including OXO, Hydro Flask, Osprey, Vicks, Braun, Honeywell, PUR, Hot Tools, Drybar and Curlsmith.Helen of Troy Missed on Fourth Quarter fiscal 2025 Earnings by a PennyOn Apr 24, 2025, Helen of Troy reported its fourth quarter fiscal 2025 earnings and missed on the Zacks Consensus but only by a penny. Earnings were $2.33 versus the Zacks Consensus of $2.34.Sales fell 0.7% year-over-year.But the fourth quarter was not the real story of the last few weeks. That’s in the past. The tariffs are what the Street is focused on now.Helen of Troy Doesn’t Provide Guidance for Fiscal 2026Helen of Troy didn’t provide guidance for fiscal 2026 and its press release was grim. Helen of Troy has exposure to the tariffs.“To mitigate the Company's risk of ongoing exposure to tariffs, it has intensified efforts to diversify its production outside of China into regions where it expects tariffs or overall costs to be lower and to source the same product in more than one region, to the extent it is possible and not cost-prohibitive,” said the press release.“The Company expects to reduce its cost of goods sold exposed to China tariffs to less than 20% by the end of fiscal 2026. The Company continues to assess and implement other mitigation actions, which include cost reductions from suppliers and price increases to customers. While the Company has not yet made all its pricing decisions, price increases are being considered, along with other mitigation strategies,” it added.Given all the uncertainty, Helen of Troy was implementing a number of measures to reduce costs and preserve cash flow.Analysts Cut Fiscal 2026 Earnings EstimatesGiven the tariff uncertainty, it’s not a surprise that the analysts cut their fiscal 2026 earnings estimates.2 estimates were cut in the last 30 days which pushed the fiscal 2026 Zacks Consensus down to $6.05 from $7.76.That’s a decline of 15.6% as the company made $7.17 in fiscal 2025.Here’s what it looks like on the 5-year price and consensus chart.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchHelen of Troy CEO ResignedOn May 2, 2025, after the release of the fourth quarter fiscal 2025 earnings, the Helen of Troy CEO, Noel Geoffroy, resigned as CEO and as a director of the Company, effective immediately.Brian Grass, the CFO, was appointed interim CEO by the Board of Directors. Additionally, the Board also appointed Tracy Scheuerman as the interim CFO. She had previously been Senior Vice President, Finance for the Home & Outdoor segment.Shares of Helen of Troy at New 5-Year LowsWith the earnings miss, lack of guidance for fiscal 2026 and the management shake-up, it’s not a surprise that the stock has tumbled.Shares of Helen of Troy are down 58.9% year-to-date. But they’re also trading at new 5-year lows.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchIt has a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 4.2, but with the earnings estimate cuts, that low of a P/E ratio sends up a red flag.Investors interested in a company with tariff exposure, like Helen of Troy, might want to wait on the sidelines until there is more clarity regarding the impact on sales and earnings.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Helen of Troy Limited (HELE): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks