Empowered Funds LLC Invests $7.26 Million in Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. $SBH

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired 513,695 Sally Beauty shares worth approximately $7.26 million, representing a 0.55% stake. Other institutional investors, including BlackRock and Wasatch Advisors, also established or expanded positions.
• CFO Marlo Michelle Cormier Platz sold 42,771 shares for about $543,192, reducing her direct ownership by 23.64%; insiders collectively own 2% of the company.
• Sally Beauty reported quarterly EPS of $0.55, exceeding estimates of $0.53, while revenue rose 0.3% year over year to $935.49 million. Analysts maintain an average “Hold” rating with a $17.40 price target, compared with the stock’s $16.62 opening price.

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 513,695 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $7,264,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.55% of Sally Beauty at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Sally Beauty during the 2nd quarter valued at $223,172,000. Wasatch Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Sally Beauty in the third quarter worth $74,842,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Sally Beauty by 46.0% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 3,981,998 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $56,783,000 after buying an additional 1,254,125 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sally Beauty by 1,333.4% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 840,539 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $11,986,000 after buying an additional 781,901 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Sally Beauty during the second quarter valued at $9,347,000.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Marlo Michelle Cormier Platz sold 42,771 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.70, for a total value of $543,191.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,145 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,754,441.50. This represents a 23.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 2.00% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on SBH. Weiss Ratings upgraded Sally Beauty from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Sally Beauty from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Sally Beauty from $16.00 to $13.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Sally Beauty from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.40.

Sally Beauty Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:SBH opened at $16.62 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.66 and a beta of 1.03. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $15.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 2.37. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $11.54 and a 52 week high of $17.92.

Sally Beauty (NYSE:SBH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The specialty retailer reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.02. Sally Beauty had a net margin of 5.16% and a return on equity of 24.36%. The firm had revenue of $935.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $938.45 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sally Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.040-2.080 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. will post 2.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Sally Beauty

Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc is a leading global specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies, serving both retail customers and salon professionals. The company operates two primary channels: Sally Beauty Supply, which offers a broad assortment of hair color, hair care, styling, and skincare products; and Beauty Systems Group (BSG), which provides salon-quality products and supplies to professional stylists and salon owners. With a focus on catering to diverse customer needs, Sally Beauty offers well-known brands alongside private label lines, positioning itself as a one-stop source for beauty professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Denton, Texas, Sally Beauty has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.

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