Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE) Shares Gap Down - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Helen of Troy shares gapped lower, opening at $25.80 versus a prior close of $26.74 and last trading at $25.66 on light volume.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the stock has an average “Hold” rating and a $27.00 consensus price target, despite upgrades from Wall Street Zen and UBS Group and downgrades from Zacks Research and Weiss Ratings.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations with $0.17 EPS versus $0.02 anticipated and revenue of $402.12 million, up 8.2% year over year, although it reported a negative net margin of 22.70%.

Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ:HELE - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday. The stock had previously closed at $26.74, but opened at $25.80. Helen of Troy shares last traded at $25.66, with a volume of 16,130 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HELE has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. 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 objective on shares of Helen of Troy from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research downgraded Helen of Troy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $26.00 target price on Helen of Troy in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Helen of Troy from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Helen of Troy currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $27.00.

Helen of Troy Trading Down 0.3%

The firm has a market cap of $595.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.42 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The firm's 50-day moving average is $28.36 and its 200-day moving average is $25.20.

Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.15. Helen of Troy had a negative net margin of 22.70% and a positive return on equity of 6.46%. The company had revenue of $402.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.55 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.41 EPS. Helen of Troy's quarterly revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Helen of Troy has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.250-3.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Helen of Troy Limited will post 2.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Helen of Troy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Helen of Troy in the 2nd quarter valued at $247,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Helen of Troy during the second quarter worth approximately $61,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings 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 worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in shares of Helen of Troy by 142.2% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,589 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 1,520 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in shares of Helen of Troy by 116.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 297,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,507,000 after acquiring an additional 160,374 shares during the last quarter.

Helen of Troy Company Profile

Helen of Troy Limited is a global consumer products company that develops, markets and distributes branded products across the home and outdoor, beauty, and health and wellness categories. Its portfolio includes household and organization products, drinkware and outdoor equipment, personal-care appliances, hair-care products, and consumer health products.

The company's principal brands include OXO, Hydro Flask, Osprey, Drybar and Hot Tools. Helen of Troy also markets certain health and wellness products under licensed brands, including Vicks, Braun and Honeywell, as well as beauty products under selected licensed and owned brands.

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