Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ:HELE) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $33.45 and last traded at $34.3090, with a volume of 47,817 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $29.54.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Helen of Troy in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their target price on shares of Helen of Troy from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Helen of Troy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Helen of Troy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Helen of Troy from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned 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 “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $27.50.

Helen of Troy Stock Up 2.0%

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $28.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $24.13. The company has a market cap of $883.48 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.66 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 8th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.29. Helen of Troy had a negative net margin of 5.43% and a positive return on equity of 7.73%. The business had revenue of $440.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $442.33 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.59 earnings per share. Helen of Troy’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Helen of Troy has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.600-4.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Helen of Troy Limited will post 3.09 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Helen of Troy in the second quarter worth $54,740,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Helen of Troy in the second quarter valued at about $27,749,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Helen of Troy by 12.8% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 824,238 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,961,000 after purchasing an additional 93,350 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Helen of Troy during the second quarter worth about $19,668,000. Finally, RWWM Inc. lifted its position in Helen of Troy by 85.7% during the first quarter. RWWM Inc. now owns 1,173,829 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,927,000 after purchasing an additional 541,689 shares during the period.

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.