0001104659-13-037215.txt : 20130503 0001104659-13-037215.hdr.sgml : 20130503 20130503172732 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001104659-13-037215 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20130429 ITEM INFORMATION: Results of Operations and Financial Condition ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20130503 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20130503 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: HELEN OF TROY LTD CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000916789 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: ELECTRIC HOUSEWARES & FANS [3634] IRS NUMBER: 742692550 FISCAL YEAR END: 0228 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-14669 FILM NUMBER: 13813881 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: CLARENDON HOUSE STREET 2: CHURCH STREET CITY: HAMILTON BERMUDA STATE: D0 ZIP: - BUSINESS PHONE: 915-225-8000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE HELEN OF TROY PLAZA CITY: EL PASO STATE: TX ZIP: 79912 8-K 1 a13-11579_18k.htm CURRENT REPORT OF MATERIAL EVENTS OR CORPORATE CHANGES

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  April 29, 2013

 


 

HELEN OF TROY LIMITED

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Commission File Number:  001-14669

 

Bermuda

 

74-2692550

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

 

Identification No.)

 

CLARENDON HOUSE

CHURCH STREET

HAMILTON, BERMUDA

(Business address of registrant)

 

ONE HELEN OF TROY PLAZA

EL PASO, TEXAS 79912

(United States mailing address of registrant and zip code)

 

915-225-8000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 2.02    Results of Operation and Financial Condition.

 

On April 29, 2013, Helen of Troy Limited (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its results for the fiscal quarter and year ended February 28, 2013.  Additionally, on April 29, 2013, the Company held a conference call discussing its results for the same period mentioned above.  With this Form 8-K, we are furnishing copies of the press release (attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1) and the text of the conference call (attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2).  The press release and copy of the text of this conference call are also provided on the Investor Relations Page of our website at:  http://www.hotus.com.  The information contained on this website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this report.

 

The Company desires to avail itself of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) and is including this cautionary statement for the express purpose of availing itself of the protection afforded by the Act. The accompanying press release and conference call transcript contain certain forward-looking statements, which are subject to change. A number of risks or uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from historical or anticipated results or from the results or effects contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Generally, the words “anticipates”, “believes”, “expects”, “plans”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue”, “intends”, and other similar words identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The actual results may differ materially from those described in any forward looking statements. The Company believes that these risks include, but are not limited to, the risks described in Part 1, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 28, 2013 and risks otherwise described from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports as filed. Such risks, uncertainties and other important factors include, among others, the departure and recruitment of key personnel; the Company’s ability to deliver products to its customers in a timely manner and according to their fulfillment standards; the Company’s geographic concentration of certain U.S. distribution facilities, which  increases our exposure to significant shipping disruptions and added shipping and storage costs; delays in construction of the Company’s new distribution facility or difficulties encountered during the transition to the new facility could interrupt the Company’s logistical systems and cause shipping disruptions; the Company’s projections of product demand, sales and net income are highly subjective and our future net sales revenue, net income and earnings per share could vary in a material amount from such projections; expectations regarding acquisitions and the integration of the acquired businesses; the Company’s relationship with key customers and licensors; the costs of complying with the business demands and requirements of large sophisticated customers; the Company’s dependence on foreign sources of supply and foreign manufacturing and associated operational risks including but not limited to long lead times, consistent local labor availability and capacity, and timely availability of sufficient shipping carrier capacity; the impact of changing costs of raw materials and energy on cost of goods sold and certain operating expenses; circumstances that may contribute to future impairment of goodwill, intangible or other long-lived assets; the risks associated with the use of trademarks licensed from third parties; our dependence on the strength of retail economies and vulnerabilities to economic downturns; the Company’s ability to develop and introduce innovative new products to meet changing consumer preferences; the potential impact of disruptions in U.S., European and other international credit markets; exchange rate risks; trade barriers, exchange controls, expropriations and other risks associated with foreign operations expectations; the Company’s debt leverage and the constraints it may impose on the ability to operate the business; the costs, complexity and challenges of upgrading and managing our global information systems; the risks associated with information security breaches; the risks associated with tax audits and related disputes with taxing authorities; the risks of potential changes in laws, including tax laws and the complexities of compliance with such laws; and the Company’s ability to continue to avoid classification as a controlled foreign corporation. The Company intends its forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time of such statements, and does not undertake to update or revise them as more information becomes available. Additional information concerning potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results and the forward-looking statements is included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended February 28, 2013.

 

The press release and copy of the text of this conference call include or refer to certain information that the Company believes is non-GAAP Financial Information as contemplated by SEC Regulation G, Rule 100. The press release contains tables that reconcile these measures to their corresponding GAAP based measures presented under the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations in the press release. The material limitation

 

2



 

associated with the use of the non-GAAP financial measures is that the non-GAAP measures do not reflect the full economic impact of the Company’s activities. These non-GAAP measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, are not an alternative to GAAP financial information, and may be calculated differently than non-GAAP financial information disclosed by other companies. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on non-GAAP information.

 

The information in this Item 2.02 of this Form 8-K and Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 attached hereto shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or any proxy statement or report or other document we may file with the SEC, regardless of any general incorporation language in any such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

 

Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)        Exhibits

 

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

99.1

 

Press Release, dated April 29, 2013

99.2

 

Text of conference call held April 29, 2013

 

3



 

Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

HELEN OF TROY LIMITED

 

 

 

 

Date: May 03, 2013

/s/ Thomas J. Benson

 

Thomas J. Benson

 

Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

 

4



 

Index to Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

99.1

 

Press Release, dated April 29, 2013

99.2

 

Text of conference call held April 29, 2013

 

5


EX-99.1 2 a13-11579_1ex99d1.htm EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

 

Helen of Troy Limited Reports Record Net Sales Revenue and Record Net Income

 for Three and Twelve Month Periods Ended February 28, 2013

 

EL PASO, Texas, April 29, 2013 — Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ, NM:  HELE), designer, developer and worldwide marketer of brand-name household, personal care and healthcare/home environment consumer products, today reported record results for the three and twelve month periods ended February 28, 2013.

 

Gerald J. Rubin, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, commenting on the Company’s fiscal 2013 fourth quarter results, stated, “I am pleased to report a solid quarter, where all three of our operating segments contributed to a double digit increase in consolidated net sales compared to the same period last year.  Amidst a challenging retail sales environment we continued to diligently control our costs and increased our operating income compared to the fourth quarter of last year, even as we continued to make long-term investments in our business.  The fourth quarter caps off a solid year of performance for our Company, where we made further progress on many of our long-term strategic business objectives and achieved overall organic growth for the second consecutive year.  Our business is solid and continued to generate strong cash flow in fiscal 2013, providing significant resources to pursue our growth objectives.”

 

Mr. Rubin continued, “Looking ahead to fiscal year 2014, we have confidence in our ability to leverage our portfolio of leading brands for long-term growth. While the global economic environment is mixed, we remain keenly focused on executing our growth strategies and controlling our costs. We will continue to invest in organic growth while evaluating accretive acquisitions that complement, and further diversify, our portfolio of global consumer products and brands.”

 

Consolidated Fourth Quarter Operating Results

 

·                  Net sales revenue increased 10.9% to a record $326.0 million compared to $294.0 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012.

·                  Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales revenue was 40.4% compared to 41.9% for the same period last year, reflecting product cost increases across all segments.

·                  Selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales revenue was 28.2% compared to 29.4% for the same period last year, a decrease of 120 basis points, reflecting the benefits of expense leverage and third party transition service expenses related to the PUR acquisition incurred last year, but not repeated this year.

·                  Operating income was $39.7 million compared to $36.6 million in the same period last year, an increase of 8.7%.

·                  EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation was $50.0 million compared to $46.3 million in the same period last year, an increase of 8.0%.  (See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures — EBITDA and EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation” below.)

·                  Record net income was $31.5 million, or $0.98 per fully diluted share on 32.1 million weighted average shares outstanding, which compares to net income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012

 

1



 

·                  of $29.3 million, or $0.92 per fully diluted share on 31.8 million weighted average shares outstanding, an increase in net income of 7.5% and in earnings per fully diluted share of 6.5%.

 

Consolidated Twelve-Month Operating Results

 

·                  Net sales revenue increased 9.0% to a record $1.29 billion compared to $1.18 billion in fiscal 2012.

·                  Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales revenue was 40.2% compared to 40.5% in fiscal 2012, reflecting the unfavorable impact of foreign currency exchange rates and product cost increases across all segments.

·                  Selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales revenue of 28.7% was flat compared to fiscal 2012.

·                  Operating income was $148.8 million compared to $139.4 million in fiscal 2012, an increase of 6.7%.

·                  EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation was $190.0 million compared to $171.8 million in fiscal 2012, an increase of 10.6%. (See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures — EBITDA and EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation” below.)

·                  Record net income was $115.7 million, or $3.62 per fully diluted share on 31.9 million weighted average shares outstanding, which compares to net income in fiscal 2012 of $110.4 million, or $3.48 per fully diluted share on 31.7 million weighted average shares outstanding, an increase in net income of 4.8% and in earnings per fully diluted share of 4.0%.

 

Balance Sheet Highlights

 

·                  Cash and equivalents totaled $12.8 million compared to $21.8 million at February 29, 2012.

·                  Receivables turnover improved to 60.6 days, from 62.5 days at February 29, 2012.

·                  Inventory was $280.9 million compared to $246.1 million at February 29, 2012, reflecting the purchase of PUR inventories during the second fiscal quarter, advance purchases of PUR inventory in the second half of the fiscal year in anticipation of a change in a third-party manufacturer in fiscal year 2014 and additional inventory holdings in anticipation of the Chinese New Year.

 

Fiscal 2014 Annual Outlook

 

For fiscal year 2014, the Company expects net sales revenue in the range of $1.29 billion to $1.32 billion, and earnings per fully diluted share in the range of $3.50 to $3.60.  The earnings guidance reflects the negative impact of the difficult retail environment, a conservative approach to the cold/cough/flu season, product cost increases across all segments and an increase in non-cash compensation expense for the Company’s CEO.  The Company expects capital expenditures for fiscal year 2014 to be in the range of $40 million to $45 million, with approximately $33 million related to the completion of the Company’s new 1.3 million square foot distribution center in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

 

2



 

Conference Call and Webcast

 

The Company will conduct a teleconference in conjunction with today’s earnings release.  The teleconference begins at 4:45 pm Eastern Time today, Monday, April 29, 2013.  Institutional investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (888) 359-3624.  The conference call will also be available to interested parties through a live webcast at www.hotus.com. Please visit the website and select the “Investor Relations” link at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register and download any necessary software.

 

A telephone replay of the call will be available until May 6, 2013, by dialing (877) 870-5176 (domestic) or (858) 384-5517 (international) and entering the conference replay number: 4022910. Please note participants must enter the conference identification number in order to access the replay.

 

About Helen of Troy Limited:

 

Helen of Troy Limited is a leading global consumer products company offering creative solutions for its customers through a strong portfolio of well-recognized and widely-trusted brands, including: Housewares: OXO®, Good Grips®, Soft Works®, OXO tot® and OXO Steel®; Personal  Care: Revlon®, Vidal Sassoon®, Dr. Scholl’s®, Pro Beauty Tools®, Sure®, Pert®, Infusium23®, Brut®, Ammens®, Hot Tools®, Bed Head®, Karina®, Ogilvie® and Gold ‘N Hot®; and Healthcare/Home Environment: Vicks®, Braun®, Honeywell®, PUR®, Febreze®, Stinger®, Duracraft® and SoftHeat®. The Revlon® trademark is used under license from Revlon Consumer Products Corporation.  The Vidal Sassoon®, Vicks®, Braun® and Febreze® trademarks are used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company.  The Dr. Scholl’s® trademark is used under license from MSD Consumer Care, Inc.  The Honeywell® trademark is used under license from Honeywell International Inc.  The Bed Head® trademark is used under license from Unilever PLC.

 

For more information, please visit www.hotus.com.

 

Forward Looking Statements:

 

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to change. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any or all of the forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many of these factors will be important in determining the Company’s actual future results. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Actual future results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by a number of risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical or anticipated results. Generally, the words “anticipates”, “estimates”, “believes”, “expects”, “plans”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “seeks”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue”, “intends”, and other similar words identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company intends its forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time of such statements, and does not undertake to update or revise them as more information becomes available. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release should be read in conjunction

 

3



 

with, and are subject to and qualified by, the risks described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended February 28, 2013 and in our other filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to refer to the risk factors referred to above for a description of these risks. Such risks include, among others, the departure and recruitment of key personnel, the Company’s ability to deliver products to our customers in a timely manner, the Company’s geographic concentration of certain U.S. distribution facilities, which  increases our exposure to significant shipping disruptions and added shipping and storage costs, delays in construction of the Company’s new distribution facility or difficulties encountered during the transition to the new facility could interrupt the Company’s logistical systems and cause shipping disruptions, the Company’s projections of product demand, sales, net income and earnings per share are highly subjective and our future net sales revenue, net income and earnings per share could vary in a material amount from such projections, expectations regarding acquisitions and the integration of acquired businesses, the Company’s relationship with key customers and licensors, the costs of complying with the business demands and requirements of large sophisticated customers, the Company’s dependence on foreign sources of supply and foreign manufacturing, the impact of changing costs of raw materials and energy on cost of goods sold and certain operating expenses, circumstances that may contribute to future impairment of goodwill, intangible or other long-lived assets, the risks associated with the use of trademarks licensed from and to third parties, our dependence on the strength of retail economies and vulnerabilities to an economic downturn, the Company’s ability to develop and introduce innovative new products to meet changing consumer preferences, disruptions in U.S., European and other international credit markets, exchange rate risks, trade barriers, exchange controls, expropriations, and other risks associated with foreign operations, the Company’s debt leverage and the constraints it may impose, the costs, complexity and challenges of upgrading and managing our global information systems, the risks associated with information security breaches, the risks associated with tax audits and related disputes with taxing authorities, potential changes in laws, including tax laws, and the Company’s ability to continue to avoid classification as a controlled foreign corporation.

 

4



 

HELEN OF TROY LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income

(unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

 

 

Three Months ended the last day of February

 

Fiscal years ended the last day of February

 

 

 

2013

 

2012

 

2013

 

2012

 

Sales revenue, net

 

$

326,042

 

100.0

%

$

294,004

 

100.0

%

$

1,288,263

 

100.0

%

$

1,181,676

 

100.0

%

Cost of goods sold

 

194,462

 

59.6

%

170,897

 

58.1

%

770,052

 

59.8

%

703,192

 

59.5

%

Gross profit

 

131,580

 

40.4

%

123,107

 

41.9

%

518,211

 

40.2

%

478,484

 

40.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling, general, and administrative expense

 

91,848

 

28.2

%

86,552

 

29.4

%

369,438

 

28.7

%

339,098

 

28.7

%

Operating income

 

39,732

 

12.2

%

36,555

 

12.4

%

148,773

 

11.5

%

139,386

 

11.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other income (expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nonoperating income (expense), net

 

48

 

0.0

%

(52

)

0.0

%

86

 

0.0

%

(377

)

0.0

%

Interest expense

 

(3,671

)

-1.1

%

(3,265

)

-1.1

%

(13,345

)

-1.0

%

(12,917

)

-1.1

%

Total other expense

 

(3,623

)

-1.1

%

(3,317

)

-1.1

%

(13,259

)

-1.0

%

(13,294

)

-1.1

%

Income before income taxes

 

36,109

 

11.1

%

33,238

 

11.3

%

135,514

 

10.5

%

126,092

 

10.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense

 

4,602

 

1.4

%

3,941

 

1.3

%

19,848

 

1.5

%

15,718

 

1.3

%

Net income

 

$

31,507

 

9.7

%

$

29,297

 

10.0

%

$

115,666

 

9.0

%

$

110,374

 

9.3

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share

 

$

0.98

 

 

 

$

0.92

 

 

 

$

3.62

 

 

 

$

3.48

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares of common stock used in computing diluted earnings per share

 

32,089

 

 

 

31,766

 

 

 

31,936

 

 

 

31,705

 

 

 

 

HELEN OF TROY LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet Information

(unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

 

 

2/28/2013

 

2/29/2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

12,842

 

$

21,846

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receivables

 

219,719

 

195,283

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inventory

 

280,872

 

246,142

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets, current

 

545,205

 

488,536

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

1,474,004

 

1,435,723

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities, current

 

308,665

 

378,889

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total long-term liabilities

 

238,733

 

260,105

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity

 

926,606

 

796,729

 

 

5



 

SELECTED OTHER DATA (in thousands) (unaudited)

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure - EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) and EBITDA without share-based compensation

 

 

 

 

Three Months ended
the last day of February

 

Fiscal years ended
the last day of February

 

 

 

2013

 

2012

 

2013

 

2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

31,507

 

$

29,297

 

$

115,666

 

$

110,374

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense, net

 

3,651

 

3,246

 

13,270

 

12,619

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense

 

4,602

 

3,941

 

19,848

 

15,718

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

8,737

 

9,112

 

35,328

 

30,178

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)

 

$

48,497

 

$

45,596

 

$

184,112

 

$

168,889

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA, as calculated above

 

$

48,497

 

$

45,596

 

$

184,112

 

$

168,889

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add: Non-cash share-based compensation

 

1,496

 

697

 

5,913

 

2,928

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation

 

$

49,993

 

$

46,293

 

$

190,025

 

$

171,817

 

 

The above table of SELECTED OTHER DATA and the accompanying press release include non-GAAP measures. EBITDA and EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation that are discussed in the accompanying press release or in the preceding table may be considered non-GAAP financial information as contemplated by SEC Regulation G, Rule 100. Accordingly, we are providing the preceding table that reconciles these measures to their corresponding GAAP based measures presented in our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income in the accompanying table to the press release. The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to its financial condition and results of operations.  The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures, in combination with the Company’s financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP, provides investors with additional perspective. The Company further believes that the items excluded from certain non-GAAP measures do not accurately reflect the underlying performance of its continuing operations for the period in which they are incurred, even though some of these excluded items may be incurred and reflected in the Company’s GAAP financial results in the foreseeable future.  The material limitation associated with the use of the non-GAAP financial measures is that the non-GAAP measures do not reflect the full economic impact of the Company’s activities.  These non-GAAP measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, are not an alternative to GAAP financial information, and may be calculated differently than non-GAAP financial information disclosed by other companies.  Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on non-GAAP information.

 

6



 

SOURCE: Helen of Troy Limited

 

 

Company Contact:

 

Helen of Troy Limited

 

John Boomer

 

Senior Vice President

 

(915) 225-8050

 

 

 

Investor Contacts:

 

ICR, Inc.

 

Allison Malkin / Anne Rakunas

 

(203) 682-8200 / (310) 954-1113

 


EX-99.2 3 a13-11579_1ex99d2.htm EX-99.2

EXHIBIT – 99.2

 

CORPORATE PARTICIPANTS

John Boomer Helen of Troy Limited - SVP

Gerald Rubin Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

Tom Benson Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Operator

 

Good day, and welcome to the Helen of Troy, Ltd. fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 earnings call. Today’s conference is being recorded. At this time I’d like to turn the conference over to John Boomer, Senior Vice President of Helen of Troy. Please go ahead, sir.

 

John Boomer  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP

 

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to Helen of Troy’s fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 results conference call. The agenda for the call this afternoon is as follows. I will begin with a brief forward-looking statement. Mr. Gerald Rubin, our Chairman, CEO, and President, will then discuss our results and highlight the priorities we set for the business at the start of fiscal 2014. Then, Tom Benson, our Chief Financial Officer, will review our financials and outlook in more detail. Following this, we will take the questions you have for us today.

 

This conference call may contain certain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectation with respect to future events or financial performance. Generally, the words anticipates, believes, expects, and other similar words identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause anticipated results to differ materially from actual results.

 

This conference call may also include information that may be considered non-GAAP financial information. These non-GAAP measures are not an alternative to GAAP financial information and may be calculated differently than the non-GAAP financial information disclosed by other companies. The Company cautions listeners to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or non-GAAP information.

 

Before I turn the conference call over to our Chairman, I’d like to inform all interested parties that a copy of today’s earnings release has been posted to our website at www.hotus.com. The earnings release contains tables that reconcile non-GAAP financial measures to their corresponding GAAP-based measures. The release can be accessed by selecting the investor relations tab on our homepage and then the news tab.

 

I will now turn the conference over to Gerald Rubin.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Thank you, John. Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to our fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 earnings conference call.

 

I am pleased to report a solid quarter in which we achieved a double-digit increase in net sales with all three of our operating segments contributing to this growth. Amidst a challenging retail sales environment, we continued to diligently control our costs and increased our operating income compared to the fourth quarter of last year, even as we continued to invest in our business.

 

For the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013, we grew EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation by 8% and achieved diluted earnings per share of $0.98, surpassing our expectations. Growth in the quarter was led by the Healthcare/Home Environment segment, which grew sales by 18%, benefiting from a strong increase in illness levels midway through the cough/cold/flu season, healthy replenishment driven by retail inventory levels more in line with sales, as well as one incremental month of sales from PUR, which was acquired on December 30, 2011.

 

We also achieved double-digit growth in the Housewares segment, illustrating the strength of our new innovative quality products. Performance of the Personal Care segment was ahead of the prior year, despite the tough consumer environment, which hampered sales of higher ticket hairdryers and flat irons, as well as increased trade promotion activities by key competitors in the grooming, skin care, and hair care categories.

 

The fourth quarter caps off a solid year of performance for our Company where we made further progress on many of our long-term strategic business objectives. We achieved overall organic growth for the second consecutive year, strengthened our competitive positioning in the Housewares business through the introduction of new and innovative products designed to meet the needs and desires of our customers, and made significant progress in the Healthcare//Home Environment segment, including the integration of our newest acquisition, PUR.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

For the full year, we grew net sales revenue by 9%, increased EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation by 10.6%, and achieved diluted earnings per share of $3.62. Our business is solid and continues to generate strong cash flow in fiscal 2013, providing significant resources to pursue our growth objectives. We ended the year with a strong balance sheet and a debt-to-EBITDA without non-cash share-based compensation ratio of 1.4 times, which is down from 2 times at the end of fiscal year 2012. And, as of April 29, 2013, our total debt is down to $217 million from $257 million at February 28, 2013.

 

Looking ahead to the current year, we have confidence in our ability to leverage our portfolio of leading brands for long-term growth. While the global economic environment is mixed, we remain keenly focused on controlling our costs and executing our growth objectives. We will continue to invest in new product introductions, the extension of our brands into adjacent categories and geographic expansion, coupled with targeted marketing support.

 

In the Housewares segment, we expect new product introductions and increased sales in existing products to drive growth in fiscal year 2014. As it relates to new products, we are adding to our hydration category with newness in water bottles. We also have new product excitement in the baking and food storage categories with new bright colors, new gadgets, and new functionality. The toddler and infant category will continue to benefit from new product introductions. We continue to believe that our Housewares segment will see sustained, long-term growth as we focus on innovation and benefit from the growth in the 35- to 50-year-old population, which has comparatively higher disposable income in a demographic we serve well, given our ergonomic designs. We also expect the improved housing market to benefit this segment over time.

 

Turning to our Healthcare/Home Environment segment, we expect that growth will be driven by new products for PUR as well as new PUR marketing and merchandising programs. We have invested in new products in both our Healthcare and Home Environment categories that are launching in fiscal year 2014 and are investing in new technologies to fuel growth in fiscal year 2015 and beyond. We expect these new product and commercial initiatives to accelerate growth in the United States, while incremental distribution in new products are expected to drive growth outside the US in fiscal 2014.

 

A key focus for us this year is the Personal Care segment. Last year, we augmented the retail appliance team with the addition of new leadership. Additionally, to drive sales, we will be refining our marketing and promotional spending activities. We expect this strategy to not only increase brand awareness and improve productivity of our brands at retail, but also provide us with increased visibility into the return on our marketing investment.

 

Turning to our international operations in Europe, our growth initiatives will be supported by a restructured and strengthened European sales team that is now organized by account and not by brand. While Personal Care sales are expected to be down for the year, we do expect the segment to contribute positively to our overall cash flow this year.

 

We will also continue to pursue acquisitions while adhering to our stringent acquisition criteria. As we evaluate acquisitions, we continue to emphasize companies and brands that hold category-leading positions, have global potential, will be accretive to earnings and cash flow, and possess margin expansion opportunities. As always, we will consider alternative ways to deploy surplus cash in addition to evaluating acquisitions, including share repurchases.

 

As previously discussed, we are in the process of constructing a new 1.3 million square foot distribution facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi, to accommodate anticipated future growth. This new facility will replace currently leased space in Memphis, Tennessee, and we expect to begin moving inventory over to the new facility towards the end of the second quarter of this fiscal year.

 

In summary, fiscal year 2013 represented a solid year of growth and accomplishment towards our long-term growth goals. We expect our focus on innovation, category, and geographic expansion, and the evaluation of accretive acquisition opportunities to allow us to continue our growth in sales and earnings in the long-term.

 

I now would like to turn this conference call over to Tom Benson, our CFO, who will give you the financial highlights of the quarter, and provide our financial guidance for fiscal year 2014.

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Thank you, Jerry. Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to start my discussion by reviewing our reported fourth-quarter fiscal year 2013 financial results from this afternoon’s press release.

 

Net sales revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 10.9% to $326 million, reflecting one month of incremental sales from the PUR acquisition of $8.1 million, and core growth in the Housewares, Healthcare/Home Environment, and Personal Care segments of 11.9%, 11.6%, and 2.2%, respectively.

 

Foreign currency positively impacted revenue by $0.9 million, which mostly benefited the Personal Care and Healthcare/Home Environment segments.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

Looking at the performance of our key business segments in more detail, Personal Care net sales revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 2.2% to $112 million compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. The increase in Personal Care net sales revenue primarily reflects growth in international markets and the US appliance category, offset by a continued difficult US retail sales environment in the grooming, skin care, and hair care categories.

 

Net sales revenue in the Housewares segment, which consists of the OXO business, grew by 11.9% to $66.4 million compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. This segment continues to experience growth in its food storage, bath accessories, tools and gadgets, and cleaning product categories.

 

Our Healthcare/Home Environment segment consists of the Kaz business acquired on December 31, 2010, and the PUR business, acquired on December 30, 2011. Healthcare/Home Environment net sales revenue for the fourth quarter increased by 18% to $147.6 million compared to the same quarter last year. Of this increase, $8.1 million relates to the PUR acquisition. The core business in this segment grew 11.6% year-over-year, led by a strong increase in illness levels midway through the cold/cough/flu season. Our thermometer and pharmacy humidifier business grew by double digits in the fourth quarter and according to market measurement data, our Vicks and Braun brands further extended their number one US market share leadership position versus all other brands this past season.

 

Consolidated gross profit was 40.4% of net sales compared to 41.9% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Gross profit was unfavorably impacted by product cost increases across all segments.

 

Selling, general, and administrative expense in the fourth quarter 2013 was 28.2% of net sales compared to 29.4% of net sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, an improvement of 120 basis points. The improvement was due to the benefits of expense leverage and third-party transition service expense related to the PUR acquisition incurred last year, but not repeated this year.

 

Operating income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 was $39.7 million, or 12.2% of net sales, compared to $36.6 million, or 12.4% of net sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. The 20 basis point decrease in operating income primarily reflects the impact of product cost increases across all segments.

 

The income tax rate as a percentage of income before taxes for the fourth quarter, was 12.7% compared to 11.9% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. The fluctuation in our effective tax rate is primarily due to shifts in the mix of taxable income in various high and low tax rate jurisdictions.

 

Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 7.5% to $31.5 million, or 9.7% of net sales compared to $29.3 million or 10% of net sales in the prior year fourth quarter.

 

Now moving onto our financial position at February 28, 2013, compared to February 29, 2012.  Accounts receivable were $219.7 million compared to $195.3 million. Receivables turnover improved to 60.6 days from 62.5 days last year. Inventory was $280.9 million compared to $246.1 million, reflecting our ownership of PUR inventory following the completion of the order to cash transition services agreement with the previous owner and additional inventory holdings in anticipation of the Chinese New Year factory holidays to ensure we maintain our excellent fill rates.

 

Stockholders equity increased to $926.6 million compared to $796.7 million at the end of February 2012.

 

Now I’d like to turn to our outlook for fiscal year 2014. We expect net sales revenue in the range of $1.29 billion to $1.32 billion and earnings per fully diluted share in the range of $3.50 to $3.60. The earnings guidance reflects the negative impact of the difficult retail environment, a conservative approach to the cold/cough/flu season, product cost increases across all segments, and an increase in non-cash compensation expense for our CEO.

 

Our earnings per share projection does not include the impact of any potential acquisitions, share repurchases, or impairment charges. As a reminder, we conduct an annual evaluation of goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets for impairment during the first quarter of each fiscal year. We expect capital expenditures for fiscal year 2014 to be in the range of $40 million to $45 million, with approximately $33 million related to the completion of our new 1.3 million square plus foot distribution center in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

 

In summary, we continue to diligently control our costs while investing appropriately for future growth. Our business is strong and generating significant cash flows, providing us with the resources to progress towards our growth objectives.

 

Operator, we’ll now turn it over for questions. Thank you.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

QUESTION AND ANSWER

 

Operator

 

(Operator Instructions) Bob Labick, CJS Securities.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Good afternoon. Just wanted to start with – first, you had a very nice quarter and so I wanted to understand the guidance a little more. You gave us a lot of details a minute ago. It sounds like you expect Housewares OXO to be up next year and Personal Care to be down, and I wasn’t sure about your outlook for the Kaz and PUR division. If you could maybe just walk us through as much detail as you want, but outlook for those divisions, and particularly why you expect declines in the Personal Care.

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Bob, this is Tom Benson. On Healthcare/Home Environment, we are expecting sales to be up year over year. As you know, last year we had significant sales growth in that segment, but some of it had to do with the PUR acquisition that was anniversarying.

 

So in the Personal Care, for the full year next year, we do expect a sales decrease. As we have been mentioning throughout this year, there’s a lot of new competition in the liquids area. Some very large competitors have come out with some shampoo lines that are competing directly with us. Also, in our hair care appliances, with the recent Plan-o-gram reset, we have lost some position at a key customer. We are coming out with some very innovative new products that we feel position us in a good place going forward.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Would you be able to quantify the magnitude of expected decline in the PC area for next year? You know, 5% - (multiple speakers).

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

We are not giving out specific projected declines, so we are not giving out a percentage. Bob, it’s all built into the estimated sales that we just gave you.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Okay. Understood. Great. And then, on the margin side, on the home and health environment, it looks like — and I went very quickly into the K, so I could have computed this wrong. But it looks like EBIT was actually down year-over-year, despite the higher sales. The margins were down a little bit. And I know the timing of the flu season and replenishments have a lot to do with that. How should we look at the operating margin for that division now that you have it fully in?

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Bob, I think you are probably looking at the chart where we have the operating income.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Yes.

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

And I think, when you read the details there, it indicates that our corporate overhead we did not allocate to that segment last year. We wanted to get a full year of operations so we could understand the costs we have allocated that corporate had this year. The details of how much increase it was year-over-year is in the K. I don’t remember it off the top of my head right now. So that’s one of the reasons there was an impact.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Okay. And then, on a go-forward basis, is this a 7% to 8% EBIT margin business, or where do you see this falling — above that; below that?

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Our goal and part of our infrastructure enhancements is to be in a position to grow the margin in the Healthcare/Home Environment area. That is the lowest-margin business. When we acquired it, we did talk about we had a multi-year plan to try to increase it. Over time, we would like to get it to double digits. Some of it is the cost side, some of it is we are moving to new factories. We also have a strong product line coming up over the next few years. So we have a lot of the initiatives to grow that area.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Okay. Great. I will hop back in the queue and let others ask questions. Thank you.

 

Operator

 

Jason Gere, RBC Capital Markets.

 

Jason Gere  - RBC Capital Markets - Analyst

 

Good afternoon. Just, I guess, question more on the EPS guidance. So I was wondering if you could just walk us through the impact of the higher product costs you saw in the fourth quarter and just how that should play through the rest of the year. So with the guidance, you kind of laid out the four colors of impact on the EPS and we kind of went through the flu and some of the — and I guess a little bit about the retail environment, but can you talk about the gross margin? Are you expecting that to be up this year or it should be down rather materially and then you will get an offset more on the SG&A with the leverage on the expense front? So I was wondering if, just first, if we could talk a little bit about margins. Thanks.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Well, the margins, we believe, will be the same as they were this past year. And the SG&A should stay stable also with the same numbers. (multiple speakers).

 

Jason Gere  - RBC Capital Markets - Analyst

 

Okay. But if you’re saying margins are going to be 11.5% this year? Is that what you’re saying?

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

I think you’re talking about the operating income. On our gross profit percent, I mean, we have been and continue to experience product cost increases. We work to try to pass those on to the retailers through new products or price increases where we can. We can’t always pass them on. A large portion of our products come out of China and there continues to be wage increases that are happening. So not only us, but our competitors are in the same situation, so we are working with our retail partners to try to pass those costs on as we can.

 

On the operating income, we are going to have some higher SG&A expense for the year, and that’s how we went through and figured our guidance for next year.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

Jason Gere  - RBC Capital Markets - Analyst

 

Okay. So would the leverage that you’re getting — because it still seems like, with your guidance, your sales will be — your organic sales ex-FX will still be in the low single-digit range, at least based on the guidance. So it seems like you guys are in cost control mode like you did in the fourth quarter. So is the higher non-cash compensation expense offsetting some of that? I guess I’m just trying to think about, it seems like gross margins are going to be in the 39% range or somewhere down for the year. So, obviously, some of the offset to get to the number you get for a full-year EPS has to be on the SG&A. So I’m just trying to piece, again, the puzzle a little bit here. Is that the right way of thinking of it?

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Right. The SG&A is going to be up because of non-cash compensation and, secondly, this is a transition year for our warehousing operations. We are going to incur some duplicate and some transition expenses as we move out of a rented warehouse into our new warehouse. On a longer-term basis, we are looking at — the new warehouse will be less expensive than the rented facilities we are in. But this is a transition year to accomplish that. And that will be accomplished the second half of the year and there will still be some moving going on in the first year quarter of fiscal year 2015.

 

Jason Gere  - RBC Capital Markets - Analyst

 

Okay. And then, again, going back to the sales. When you think about the guidance for the year, how much pricing are you building into that sales? So you’re talking about some of the product costs. How much pricing are you able to take to kind of offset that? So I’m trying to think about volume versus price within, I guess, what is it, a low single-digit organic sales expectation.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Well, as we’ve talked about over the past few years, it’s not that easy to get price increases from the retailers, although we try to do it every time that we do get price increases. Most of the price increases we get are on new products because then the price can be built in and it’s kind of a mix. I can’t tell you that every time we get a price increase from our manufacturers we increase the price because we have Plan-o-grams with the major retailers and we can’t change the price until the following year when the Plan-o-gram expires. Most Plan-o-grams start around March or April and they finish the next year. But as far as new products, that’s where we are going to get the increased gross profit.

 

Jason Gere  - RBC Capital Markets - Analyst

 

Okay. And then, last one, and then I’m hopping off. So just to clarify, I think the last question, I mean, should we continue to see the high single-digit, or when you talk about the difficult retail environment, some of your retailers have obviously put out — we have seen the numbers out there. It’s been a difficult February. Should we still think about high single-digit growth in this great business, or is it more mid-to high-single-digit, is the right way to think about it?

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

This is Tom Benson. OXO for the quarter had 11.9% growth, and for the year it had 9.1%. As we’ve been — we’ve been very pleased. I mean, OXO has had very good growth. As it’s getting larger, it’s getting harder and harder to have the same percentage growth. So we are looking at more in the mid-single digits than the high.

 

Jason Gere  - RBC Capital Markets - Analyst

 

Okay. Very good. Thanks a lot, guys.

 

Operator

 

(Operator Instructions) Lee Giordano, Imperial Capital.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

Lee Giordano  - Imperial Capital - Analyst

 

When you look at your capital expenditure plans, excluding the new DC this year and looking ahead, what would be a good normalized run rate to use going forward?

 

Tom Benson  - Helen of Troy Limited - SVP and CFO

 

Lee, the reason that its a little higher for the coming year is we are transitioning the Healthcare/Home Environment over to the current version of Oracle that the rest of the Company is operating on. So we have some additional costs there. So we’ve given a range of like $7 million to $12 million for this year, not including the DC. Going forward, if we are not doing something with the computer system, it could be probably $5 million to $7 million.

 

Lee Giordano  - Imperial Capital - Analyst

 

Thank you.

 

Operator

 

(Operator Instructions) Jeffrey Mathews, RAM Partners.

 

Jeffrey Matthews  - Ram Partners - Analyst

 

(technical difficulty) advertising and marketing changes that you plan to make?

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

I think we missed part of that question. Can you repeat the question?

 

Jeffrey Matthews  - Ram Partners - Analyst

 

I just wanted a little more color, if you could, on the marketing and advertising changes you talked about in the script.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Well, we are going to spend more money on in-store displays and marketing and couponing and a little bit less on TV and print. And, also, you could include in that doing more in social media also. (multiple speakers).

 

Jeffrey Matthews  - Ram Partners - Analyst

 

What’s costing it (multiple speakers)?

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

We are just trying to get the biggest bang for the dollar and we think that there are advertising expenditures out there that we can do better by shifting some dollars from one area to the other. It doesn’t mean we are spending less; we are just shifting them from — to different categories.

 

Operator

 

Craig Stone, Kayne Anderson Investment.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

Craig Stone  - Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC - Analyst

 

Just looking at your organic growth sales for the Personal Care division, it looks like the past four or five years it’s been relatively challenged. And it sounds like, again, that, based on your guidance, going forward, this coming year will be relatively challenged as well. The question would be, longer-term in your mind what needs to occur or what can be done to overcome the lack of organic growth sales in that particular segment?

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Well, what we look for in the Personal Care area is we believe that we could use a major acquisition of a major brand that would also help carry the brands that we have. Outside of that, I think that the trend is the trend and whatever you saw over the last couple of years will continue. But we believe that, with a major acquisition of a brand, that would help carry the sales upward.

 

Operator

 

Bob Labick, CJS Securities.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Just wanted to ask about capital allocation. First, your latest thoughts on share repurchases, and then also if you could talk a little about the acquisition environment. You have said you are looking for accretive acquisitions. Can you tell us - are you expecting any this year? What’s the environment like? Anything you could elaborate on would be great.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

You know, as you know, we’ve talked about it previously. We do have our acquisition criteria that we would like to look forward to when we do an acquisition. I can tell you that there hasn’t been that many quality acquisitions that are out there, that we would like to have. I just think it’s — we’re very careful; we are conservative in what we buy. We’ve bought a lot of brands and companies over the last few years, and we’re going to stick with our strategy of what we want to do when it comes to acquisitions.

 

Prices are probably a little bit more on the higher side than they have been in the past, but I think a lot of that has to do with the low interest rates. And, not that we are competing with strategic buyers, it’s more like we are competing with venture capitalists who have a lot of money and need to deploy their capital.

 

But if there is something that we see that we like, we are not hesitant to step up and buy it, as we’ve done in the past. But, right now, there’s nothing to report to you. We don’t have anything that we can say that we’re going to be happy with. But we are certainly hopeful in this coming year to have an acquisition. We’ve always had an acquisition for the last four or five years, at least one a year. In the last 12 months, we have not, but that’s not because of us. It’s just that there has not been good quality acquisitions out there for us.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Okay. And what is the leverage ratio for you? Because you are getting down close to one times. You are materially below the peers and your stock is trading for 8 times earnings. It seems like a share repurchase could do a lot for your shareholders in that regard.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Well, you’re talking about leverage; we are down to 1-to-1. Are you talking about how much would we leverage if we were to do an acquisition?

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Sure. Or, what is the right one over time and you could buy back stock and add leverage that way, too.

 

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APRIL 29, 2013 / 08:45PM  GMT, HELE - Q4 2013 Helen of Troy Ltd Earnings Conference Call

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Okay, it’s true. Both are on the table. We wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with close to four times leverage. We are getting close to one time leverage. If you do the numbers, we have a lot of capacity to buy something. On the other hand, if nothing comes our way, then certainly acquiring stock would be the way to go.

 

Bob Labick  - CJS Securities - Analyst

 

Okay. Great. Thanks.

 

Operator

 

And that does conclude our question and answer session for today, and I’d like to turn the call back over to our presenters for any additional or closing remarks.

 

Gerald Rubin  - Helen of Troy Limited - Chairman, President and CEO

 

Well, I wanted to thank everybody for listening into our fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 results conference call, and we look forward to sharing our first quarter of fiscal year 2014 results with you soon. Thank you again for listening in.

 

Operator

 

That does conclude our conference for today. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.

 

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