Helen of Troy
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Fiscal 2004 third quarter net sales advanced 25.3% to $179.2 mil. with growth in all business segments except Tactica, Helen of Troy reports Jan. 14. Idelle Labs, which includes the Sea Breeze, Final Net, 3-in-1 brands acquired from P&G in 2002, as well as Brut cologne purchased from Unilever in September, accounted for roughly 30% of growth, or $12.3 mil., in Q3 (ended Nov. 30). Revenues for the Tactica depilatory business fell about 27% during the period to $13.8 mil. due to softness in the infomercial channel and a decline in Epil Stop sales. Helen of Troy recently announced it is "evaluating strategic alternatives" for Tactica (1"The Rose Sheet" Oct. 6, 2003, p. 7). Net income during the period rose 49.3% to $25.1 mil. The company also raised its fiscal year earnings per diluted share guidance from $1.85-$1.90 to $2.05-$2.10...