Helen of Troy Limited $HELE Shares Sold by Pzena Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Pzena Investment Management cut its Helen of Troy stake by 4.5%, selling 30,159 shares in the third quarter. It still held 646,418 shares, worth about $17.7 million at quarter-end.
• Empower Brands reportedly offered $37 per share in a non-binding acquisition proposal, valuing Helen of Troy at roughly $1.6 billion; the board unanimously rejected the offer, so a deal is uncertain.
• In its latest reported quarter, Helen of Troy posted EPS of $0.79, above the $0.50 consensus, while revenue of $440.93 million came in slightly below estimates and rose 2.1% year over year.

Pzena Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ:HELE - Free Report) by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 646,418 shares of the company's stock after selling 30,159 shares during the quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC owned approximately 2.76% of Helen of Troy worth $17,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Helen of Troy during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Helen of Troy by 122.0% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 676 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Helen of Troy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $61,000. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Helen of Troy in the second quarter valued at about $75,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Helen of Troy in the second quarter valued at about $87,000.

Trending Headlines about Helen of Troy

Here are the key news stories impacting Helen of Troy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Empower Brands, a unit of Spectrum Brands, made an unsolicited, non-binding all-cash offer of $37 per share, valuing Helen of Troy at about $1.6 billion. The proposal was reportedly raised from an earlier $34-per-share bid, fueling takeover interest and helping lift HELE shares to a 52-week high. Article: Empower Brands Makes Unsolicited Bid to Buy Helen of Troy for $1.6 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: Helen of Troy’s board unanimously rejected the offer. Because the proposal is non-binding and has been turned down, a transaction is not assured; the rejection could temper takeover-related gains unless the bidder returns with improved terms. Article: Helen of Troy Rejects Empower Brands’ $37-Per-Share Acquisition Proposal

Helen of Troy Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HELE opened at $37.77 on Friday. Helen of Troy Limited has a 12 month low of $13.85 and a 12 month high of $38.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $883.48 million, a PE ratio of -8.66 and a beta of 1.35. The business's fifty day moving average price is $28.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.13.

Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 8th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $440.93 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $442.33 million. Helen of Troy had a positive return on equity of 7.73% and a negative net margin of 5.43%. Helen of Troy's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.59 EPS. Helen of Troy has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.600-4.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Helen of Troy Limited will post 3.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Helen of Troy in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Helen of Troy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Helen of Troy from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on Helen of Troy from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Helen of Troy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Helen of Troy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $27.50.

About Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy Limited is a consumer products company that develops, markets and distributes a portfolio of beauty, wellness, household and outdoor brands. Its products are sold through mass retailers, specialty stores, e-commerce channels and other distribution partners in North America and international markets.

The company's brand portfolio includes OXO, known for kitchen, cleaning and organization products; Hydro Flask and Osprey, which offer hydration, travel and outdoor equipment; and beauty brands such as Hot Tools, Drybar and Curlsmith.

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