Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE) Cut to "Hold" at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Friday morning.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. UBS Group decreased their price target on Helen of Troy from $68.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on shares of Helen of Troy from $92.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd.

Helen of Troy Trading Up 1.8 %

Helen of Troy stock traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $28.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 684,716 shares, compared to its average volume of 537,325. Helen of Troy has a one year low of $26.71 and a one year high of $110.76. The stock has a market cap of $647.22 million, a PE ratio of 5.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average of $44.28 and a 200-day moving average of $57.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.92.

Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $2.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.35 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $485.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.55 million. Helen of Troy had a return on equity of 9.13% and a net margin of 6.05%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.45 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Helen of Troy will post 6.46 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Helen of Troy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HELE. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Helen of Troy by 96.0% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 484 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its holdings in shares of Helen of Troy by 66.7% in the 4th quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 500 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Helen of Troy by 844.7% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 718 shares of the company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 642 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Helen of Troy during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its position in Helen of Troy by 917.5% during the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 814 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares in the last quarter.

About Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy Limited provides various consumer products in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates in two segments: Home & Outdoor and Beauty & Wellness. The Home & Outdoor segment offers food storage containers, kitchen utensils for cooking and preparing salads, fruits, vegetables and meats, graters, slicers and choppers, baking essentials, kitchen organization, bath, cleaning, infant and toddler products, and coffee preparation tools and electronics; and insulated beverageware, including bottles, travel tumblers, drinkware, mugs, food and lunch containers, insulated totes, soft coolers, outdoor kitchenware, and accessories.