HELEN OF TROY LTD (HELE) FY 2025 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this Annual Report, including Item 1., “Business” and Item 8., “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The various sections of this MD&A contain a number of forward-looking statements, all of which are based on our current expectations. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including those discussed in Item 1A.,“Risk Factors,” and in the section entitled “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” following this MD&A, and in Item 7A., “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”
Management uses the following key financial measures, some of which are non-GAAP, as further described below: net sales revenue, organic business sales revenue, adjusted operating margin, and adjusted diluted EPS. Management uses these measures to evaluate historical performance on a comparable basis, predict future performance and benchmark our performance against our competitors. We believe these measures provide management and investors with important information that is useful in understanding our business results and trends.
This MD&A, including the tables under the headings “Operating Income, Operating Margin, Adjusted Operating Income (non-GAAP), and Adjusted Operating Margin (non-GAAP) by Segment” and “Net Income, Diluted EPS, Adjusted Income (non-GAAP), and Adjusted Diluted EPS (non-GAAP),” reports operating income, operating margin, net income and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) without the impact of acquisition-related expenses, asset impairment charges, a discrete tax charge to revalue existing deferred tax liabilities due to Barbados enacting domestic corporate income tax legislation (“Barbados tax reform”), a charge for uncollectible receivables due to the bankruptcy of Bed, Bath & Beyond (“Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy”), gain on sale of distribution and office facilities, a transitional income tax benefit resulting from the recognition of a deferred tax asset in connection with the reorganization of our intangible assets (“intangible asset reorganization”), restructuring charges, amortization of intangible assets, and non-cash share-based compensation for the periods presented, as applicable. These measures may be considered non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC Regulation G, Rule 100. The tables reconcile these measures to their corresponding GAAP-based financial measures presented in our consolidated statements of income. We believe that adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted income, and adjusted diluted EPS provide useful information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to our financial condition and results of operations. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, in combination with our financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP, provide investors with additional perspective regarding the impact of such charges and benefits on applicable income, margin and earnings per share measures. We also believe that these non-GAAP measures reflect the operating performance of our business and facilitate a more direct comparison of our performance to our competitors. 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 our activities. Our adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted income, and adjusted diluted EPS are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, are not an alternative to GAAP financial measures and may be calculated differently than non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by other companies. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are discussed further and reconciled to their applicable GAAP-based financial measures contained in this MD&A beginning on page 51.
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Overview
We are a leading global consumer products company offering creative products and solutions for our customers through a diversified portfolio of brands. Our portfolio of brands includes OXO, Hydro Flask, Osprey, Vicks, Braun, Honeywell, PUR, Hot Tools, Drybar, Curlsmith, Revlon, and Olive & June, among others. We have built leading market positions through new product innovation, product quality and competitive pricing. As of February 28, 2025 we operated two reportable segments: Home & Outdoor and Beauty & Wellness.
Fiscal 2020 began Phase II of our transformation, which was designed to drive the next five years of progress. Fiscal 2024 concluded Phase II of our transformation strategy, which produced net sales growth and gross profit margin expansion. We expanded our portfolio of leading brands and international footprint with the acquisitions of Drybar, Osprey and Curlsmith. We completed the divestiture of our Personal Care business and extended our Revlon trademark license for a period of up to 100 years. We strategically and effectively deployed capital to construct our new distribution facility in Gallaway, Tennessee, repurchased shares of our common stock, and repaid amounts outstanding under our long-term debt agreement. We began publishing an annual Sustainability Report to provide transparency into our strategy and performance. During Phase II, we also initiated Project Pegasus, which included the creation of a North America RMO responsible for sales and go-to-market strategies for all categories and channels in the U.S. and Canada, and further centralization of certain functions under shared services, particularly in operations and finance to better support our business segments and RMOs.
Project Pegasus is a global restructuring plan intended to expand operating margins through initiatives designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness and reduce costs. Project Pegasus includes initiatives to further optimize our brand portfolio, streamline and simplify the organization, accelerate and amplify cost of goods savings projects, enhance the efficiency of our supply chain network, optimize our indirect spending and improve our cash flow and working capital, as well as other activities. These initiatives have created operating efficiencies, as well as provided a platform to fund future growth investments. During fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023, we incurred $14.8 million, $18.7 million, and $27.4 million, respectively, of pre-tax restructuring costs in connection with Project Pegasus, which were recorded as “Restructuring charges” in the consolidated statements of income. See further discussion below within “Significant Trends Impacting the Business,” under “Project Pegasus” and Note 11 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Fiscal 2025 began our Elevate for Growth Strategy, which provides our strategic roadmap through fiscal 2030. The long-term objectives of Elevate for Growth include continued organic sales growth, further margin expansion, and accretive capital deployment through strategic acquisitions, share repurchases and capital structure management. The Elevate for Growth Strategy includes an enhanced portfolio management strategy to invest in our brands and grow internationally based upon defined criteria with an emphasis on brand building, new product introductions and expanded distribution. We are continuing to execute our initiatives under Project Pegasus, which we expect to generate incremental fuel to invest in our brand portfolio and new capabilities. We intend to further leverage our operational scale and assets, including our new state-of-the-art distribution center, improved go-to-market structure with our North America RMO, and our expanded shared services capabilities. Additionally, we are committed to advancing our sustainability efforts as a core component of our Elevate for Growth Strategy, designing products that meet consumer expectations for quality, durability, and responsible production, while strengthening trust in our brands and enhancing their competitiveness in global markets. During fiscal 2025, we completed the geographic consolidation of our Beauty & Wellness businesses, created an integrated marketing center of excellence led by our Global Chief Marketing Officer that embraces next-level data analytics and consumer insight capabilities, and further integrated our supply chain and finance functions within our shared services.
During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, we concluded that a goodwill impairment triggering event had occurred. We performed quantitative impairment testing on our goodwill and certain intangible assets
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and determined none were impaired. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, we concluded a goodwill impairment triggering event had occurred. Thus, we performed quantitative impairment testing on our goodwill and certain intangible assets. As a result of such testing, we recorded asset impairment charges of $51.5 million ($47.6 million after tax), during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, to reduce the goodwill and definite-lived trade name of our Drybar business, which is included within our Beauty & Wellness segment. We did not incur any asset impairment charges during fiscal 2024 and 2023. For additional information regarding the testing and analysis performed, refer to “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in this Item 7., “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.
On December 16, 2024, we completed the acquisition of Olive & June, an innovative, omni-channel nail care brand. Olive & June products deliver a salon-quality experience at home and include nail polish, press-on nails, manicure and pedicure systems, grooming tools and nail care essentials. The Olive & June brand and products were added to the Beauty & Wellness segment. The total purchase consideration consists of initial cash consideration of $229.4 million, net of cash acquired, which included a preliminary net working capital adjustment and is subject to certain customary closing adjustments, and contingent cash consideration of up to $15.0 million subject to Olive & June's performance during calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027, payable annually. The acquisition of Olive & June complements and broadens our existing Beauty portfolio beyond the hair care category and advances our Elevate for Growth Strategy to deploy accretive capital that leverages our capabilities and scale to accelerate growth, further expand margins, and drive greater earnings growth and free cash flow conversion. We incurred pre-tax acquisition-related expenses of $3.0 million during fiscal 2025, which were recognized in SG&A within our consolidated statement of income.
On September 28, 2023, we completed the sale of our distribution and office facilities in El Paso, Texas, for a sales price of $50.6 million, less transaction costs of $1.1 million. Concurrently, we entered into an agreement to leaseback the office facilities for a period of up to 18 months substantially rent free, which we estimated to have a fair value of approximately $1.9 million. The transaction qualified for sales recognition under the sale leaseback accounting requirements. Accordingly, we increased the sales price by the $1.9 million of prepaid rent and recognized a gain on the sale of $34.2 million within SG&A during fiscal 2024, of which $18.0 million and $16.2 million was recognized by our Beauty & Wellness and Home & Outdoor segments, respectively. The related property and equipment, totaling $17.2 million net of accumulated depreciation of $36.8 million, was derecognized from the consolidated balance sheet, and at lease commencement, we recorded an operating lease asset, which includes the imputed rent payments described above, and an operating lease liability. We used the proceeds from the sale to repay amounts outstanding under our long-term debt agreement.
Significant Trends Impacting the Business
Project Pegasus
As discussed above, during fiscal 2023, we initiated Project Pegasus, which includes initiatives to further optimize our brand portfolio, streamline and simplify the organization, accelerate and amplify cost of goods savings projects, enhance the efficiency of our supply chain network, optimize our indirect spending and improve our cash flow and working capital, as well as other activities. These initiatives have created operating efficiencies, as well as provided a platform to fund growth investments.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, we made changes to the structure of our organization, which resulted in our previous Health & Wellness and Beauty operating segments being combined into a single reportable segment. As part of our initiative focused on streamlining and simplifying the organization, we made further changes to the structure of our organization, which included the creation of a North America RMO responsible for sales and go-to-market strategies for all categories and channels in the U.S. and Canada, and further centralization of certain functions under shared services, particularly in operations and finance to better support our business segments and RMOs. This new structure reduced the size of
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our global workforce by approximately 10%. We believe that these changes better focus business segment resources on brand development, consumer-centric innovation and marketing, the RMOs on sales and go-to-market strategies, and shared services on their respective areas of expertise while also creating a more efficient and effective organizational structure.
During the second quarter of fiscal 2024, we announced plans to geographically consolidate the U.S. Beauty business, located in El Paso, Texas, and Irvine, California, and co-locate it with our Wellness business in the Boston, Massachusetts area. This geographic consolidation and relocation aligns with our initiative to streamline and simplify the organization and was completed during the third quarter of fiscal 2025. We expect these changes to enable a greater opportunity to capture synergies and enhance collaboration and innovation within the Beauty & Wellness segment.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, we completed Project Pegasus, which resulted in total pre-tax restructuring charges of $60.9 million, of which $18.7 million were recognized in Home & Outdoor and $42.2 million in Beauty & Wellness. Total pre-tax restructuring charges were slightly above the high end of our range previously disclosed of $55 million primarily due to incurring higher severance and employee related costs, but well below our original expectations of $85 million to $95 million when the project was initiated. Pre-tax restructuring charges represented primarily cash expenditures and were substantially paid by the end of fiscal 2025, with a remaining liability of $7.7 million as of February 28, 2025, which is expected to be paid during fiscal 2026.
We continue to have the following expectations regarding Project Pegasus savings:
•Targeted annualized pre-tax operating profit improvements of approximately $75 million to $85 million, which began in fiscal 2024 and we expect to be substantially achieved by the end of fiscal 2027.
•Estimated cadence of the recognition of the savings will be approximately 25% and 35% in fiscal 2024 and 2025, respectively, which were both achieved, and approximately 25% and 15% in fiscal 2026 and 2027, respectively.
•Total profit improvements to be realized approximately 60% through reduced cost of goods sold and 40% through lower SG&A.
During fiscal 2025, our gross margin and operating margins were favorably impacted by lower commodity and product costs driven by our cost of goods savings projects. During fiscal 2024, our gross margin and operating margins were favorably impacted by our SKU rationalization efforts in Beauty & Wellness and lower commodity costs in Home & Outdoor driven by our cost of goods savings projects. In addition, during fiscal 2024 we had lower personnel costs as a result of our Project Pegasus role reductions; however, they were offset by higher annual incentive compensation expense, annual merit increases, and share-based compensation expense. During fiscal 2023, we implemented plans to reduce inventory levels, increase inventory turns, and improve cash flow and working capital. Improvements related to these initiatives began in the second half of fiscal 2023 and continued during fiscal 2024, enabling us to repay amounts outstanding under our long-term debt agreement and reduce our interest expense during fiscal 2024. Expectations regarding our Project Pegasus initiatives and our ability to realize targeted savings are based on management’s estimates available at the time and are subject to a number of assumptions that could materially impact our estimates.
During fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023, we incurred $14.8 million, $18.7 million and $27.4 million of pre-tax restructuring costs, respectively, in connection with Project Pegasus, which were recorded as “Restructuring charges” in the consolidated statements of income. We made total cash restructuring payments of $11.9 million, $18.7 million and $20.8 million during fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and had a remaining liability of $7.7 million as of February 28, 2025. See Note 11 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.
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Water Filtration Patent Litigation
On December 23, 2021, Brita LP filed the Patent Litigation, alleging patent infringement by the Company relating to its PUR gravity-fed water filtration systems. Brita LP simultaneously filed the ITC Action against Kaz USA, Inc., Helen of Troy Limited and five other unrelated companies that sell water filtration systems. The complaint in the ITC Action also alleged patent infringement by the Company with respect to a limited set of PUR gravity-fed water filtration systems. This action sought injunctive relief to prevent entry of certain accused PUR products (and certain other products) into the U.S. and cessation of marketing and sales of existing inventory that is already in the U.S. On February 28, 2023, the ITC issued an Initial Determination in the ITC Action, tentatively ruling against the Company and the other unrelated respondents. The ITC has a guaranteed review process, and thus all respondents, including the Company, filed a petition with the ITC for a full review of the Initial Determination. On September 19, 2023, the ITC issued its Final Determination in the Company's favor. The ITC determined there was no violation by the Company and terminated the investigation. Brita LP is appealing the ITC's decision to the Federal Circuit and filed its Notice of Appeal on October 24, 2023. The Company intervened in the CAFC Appeal, but as of the filing date of this Form 10-K, oral argument has not been scheduled. The Patent Litigation remains stayed for the time being. We cannot predict the outcome of these legal proceedings, the amount or range of any potential loss, when the proceedings will be resolved, or customer acceptance of any replacement water filter. Litigation is inherently unpredictable, and the resolution or disposition of these proceedings could, if adversely determined, have a material and adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations. For additional information regarding the Patent Litigation and the ITC Action, see Item 3., “Legal Proceedings” and Note 12 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Impact of Macroeconomic Trends
The Federal Open Market Committee lowered the benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points during fiscal 2025 compared to an increase of 75 basis points and 450 basis points during fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. As a result, during fiscal 2025, we incurred lower average interest rates compared to the prior year. During fiscal 2024 and 2023, we incurred higher average interest rates compared to the previous years. As of February 28, 2025 and February 29, 2024, $550 million and $500 million of the outstanding principal balance under the Credit Agreement, respectively, was hedged with interest rate swaps to fix the interest rate we pay. While the actual timing and extent of additional future changes in interest rates remains unknown, lower average interest rates would reduce interest expense on our outstanding variable rate debt not subject to the interest rate swaps. The financial markets, the global economy and global supply chain may also be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of military conflicts or other geopolitical events. High inflation and interest rates have also negatively impacted consumer disposable income, credit availability and spending, among others, which have adversely impacted our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and may continue to have an adverse impact. See further discussion below under “Consumer Spending and Changes in Shopping Preferences.” We expect continued uncertainty in our business and the global economy due to pressure from inflation and consumer confidence, both of which may adversely impact our results.
Consumer Spending and Changes in Shopping Preferences
Our business depends upon discretionary consumer demand for most of our products and primarily operates within mature and highly developed consumer markets. The principal driver of our operating performance is the strength of the U.S. retail economy. Approximately 71% of our consolidated net sales revenue in fiscal 2025 was from U.S. shipments compared to 74% of consolidated net sales revenue in both fiscal 2024 and 2023.
Among other things, high levels of inflation and interest rates may negatively impact consumer disposable income, credit availability and spending. Consumer purchases of discretionary items, including the products that we offer, generally decline during recessionary periods or periods of economic uncertainty, when disposable income is reduced or when there is a reduction in consumer confidence.
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Dynamic changes in consumer spending and shopping patterns are also having an impact on retailer inventory levels. Our ability to sell to retailers is predicated on their ability to sell to the end consumer. During fiscal year 2023, we experienced an adverse impact on orders from retail customers as they aimed to rebalance their inventory levels due to lower consumer demand and shifts in consumer spending patterns. We experienced some improvement in replenishment orders from certain retail customers in certain product categories during fiscal 2024. However, during fiscal 2025, we experienced reduced replenishment orders from retail customers in line with softer consumer demand and discretionary spending, which adversely impacted our sales, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, during fiscal 2025, we experienced increased competition within our Beauty & Wellness segment and in the insulated beverageware category, which led to some declines in retail distribution. If orders from our retail customers continue to be adversely impacted, our sales, results of operations and cash flows may continue to be adversely impacted. We expect continued uncertainty in our business and the global economy due to inflation, changes in consumer spending patterns and increased competition. Accordingly, our liquidity and financial results could be impacted in ways that we are not able to predict today. For additional information on our related material risks, see Item 1A., “Risk Factors.”
Our concentration of sales reflects the continued evolution of consumer shopping preferences. For fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023, our net sales to pure-play online retailers and retail customers fulfilling end-consumer online orders, as well as our own online sales directly to consumers comprised approximately 27%, 28% and 23%, respectively, of our total consolidated net sales revenue and decreased approximately 5.5% in fiscal 2025, grew approximately 14.3% in fiscal 2024 and decreased approximately 8.9% in fiscal 2023 over the prior fiscal year periods.
With the continued importance of online sales in the retail landscape, many brick and mortar retailers are aggressively looking for ways to improve their customer delivery capabilities to be able to meet customer expectations. As a result, it has become increasingly important for us to leverage our distribution capabilities in order to meet the changing demands of our customers, including increasing our online capabilities to support our direct-to-consumer sales channels and online channel sales by our retail customers. To meet these needs, we completed the construction of an additional distribution facility in Gallaway, Tennessee that became operational during the first quarter of fiscal 2024. During the first quarter of fiscal 2025, we experienced automation system startup issues at the facility which impacted some of our Home & Outdoor segment's small retail customer and direct-to-consumer orders. As a result, our sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2025 were adversely impacted due to shipping disruptions, and we incurred additional costs and lost efficiency during both the first and second quarters of fiscal 2025 as we worked to remediate the issues. As a result of the remediation efforts performed, the automation system began to operate as designed during the third quarter of fiscal 2025, and we achieved targeted efficiency levels by the end of fiscal 2025.
Additionally, we have invested in a centralized cloud-based e-commerce platform, which most of our brands are currently utilizing. The centralized cloud-based e-commerce platform enables us to leverage a common system and rapidly deploy new capabilities across all of our brands, as well as more easily integrate new brands. We believe this platform enhances the customer experience by strengthening the digital presentation and product browsing capabilities and improving the checkout process, order delivery and post-order customer care.
Global Supply Chain and Related Cost Inflation Trends
During fiscal 2023, after experiencing a strained global supply chain network and higher inbound freight costs in the prior year as a result of COVID-19, consumer demand slowed in reaction to a highly inflationary economic environment, global supply chain capacity improved and freight costs began to recede from their previous peaks. While we witnessed declines in inbound freight costs during fiscal 2024 from the higher costs we experienced as a result of COVID-19 and related global supply chain disruptions, there was minimal volatility in our inbound freight costs during fiscal 2025. Reemergence of
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these global supply chain disruptions and related inflationary cost trends could have negative impacts to our business, results of operations and financial condition.
EPA Compliance Costs
Some of our product lines are subject to product identification, labeling and claim requirements, which are monitored and enforced by regulatory agencies, such as the EPA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
During fiscal 2022 and 2023, we were in discussions with the EPA regarding the compliance of packaging claims on certain of our products in the air and water filtration categories and a limited subset of humidifier products within the Beauty & Wellness segment that are sold in the U.S. The EPA did not raise any product quality, safety or performance issues. As a result of these packaging compliance discussions, we voluntarily implemented a temporary stop shipment action on the impacted products as we worked with the EPA towards an expedient resolution. We resumed normalized levels of shipping of the affected inventory during fiscal 2022 and we completed the repackaging and relabeling of our existing inventory of impacted products during fiscal 2023. Additionally, as a result of continuing dialogue with the EPA, we executed further repackaging and relabeling plans on certain additional humidifier products and certain additional air filtration products, which were also completed during fiscal 2023.
We recorded charges to cost of goods sold to write-off obsolete packaging for the affected products in our inventory on-hand and in-transit. We have also incurred additional compliance costs comprised of obsolete packaging, storage and other charges from vendors, which were recognized in cost of goods sold and incremental warehouse storage costs and legal fees, which were recognized in SG&A. We refer to these charges as “EPA compliance costs” throughout this Annual Report. During fiscal 2023, we incurred $23.6 million in EPA compliance costs, of which $16.9 million and $6.7 million were recognized in cost of goods sold and SG&A, respectively, in our consolidated statement of income. The costs recognized in cost of goods sold included a $4.4 million charge to write-off the obsolete packaging for the affected additional humidifier products and affected additional air filtration products in our inventory on-hand and in-transit as of the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
In addition, we incurred and capitalized into inventory costs to repackage a portion of our existing inventory of the affected products beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2022 through completion of the repackaging in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
Ongoing settlement discussions with the EPA related to this matter may result in the imposition of fines or penalties in the future. Such potential fines or penalties cannot be reasonably estimated. See Note 12 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information and Item 1A., “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report for additional information on our related material risks.
Potential Impact of Tariffs
Since 2019, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) has imposed, and in certain cases subsequently reduced or suspended, additional tariffs on products imported from China. We purchase a high concentration of our products from unaffiliated manufacturers located in China. This concentration exposes us to risks associated with doing business globally, including changes in tariffs. Furthermore, the new U.S. presidential administration has promoted and implemented plans to raise tariffs and pursue other trade policies intended to restrict imports. As of April 9, 2025, the U.S. has imposed an aggregate additional 145% tariff on imports from China. Other recent policy updates include a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, which was subsequently postponed, and a 46% tariff on imports from Vietnam and specific tariffs on various U.S. trading partners, which were both subsequently paused for 90 days and replaced with a universal 10% tariff effective April 9, 2025. The U.S. tariff policies are continuing to evolve. As a result, our risks and mitigation plans as further described below will also continue to evolve as further developments arise. Any alteration of trade agreements and terms between China and the U.S., including limiting trade with China, imposing additional tariffs on imports from China and potentially
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imposing other restrictions on imports from China to the U.S. may result in further or higher tariffs or retaliatory trade measures by China (for example, China announced a reciprocal 125% tariff on imports from the U.S. effective April 11, 2025). We are in the process of determining our incremental tariff cost exposure in light of continuing changes to tariff policies, and the full extent of our potential mitigation plans, as well as the associated timing to implement such plans. To mitigate our risk of ongoing exposure to tariffs, we have initiated significant efforts to diversify our production outside of China into regions where we expect tariffs to be lower and to source the same product in more than one region, to the extent it is possible and not cost-prohibitive. We are also considering other mitigation actions, which could include cost reductions from suppliers, or price increases to customers, on products subject to tariffs.
In addition, in certain cases, we obtained exclusions from tariffs imposed in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 from the USTR on certain products that we import, and we further benefited from certain exclusions extended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These exclusions expire in May 2025 which will result in higher tariffs assessed on the related products.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Fluctuations
Due to the nature of our operations, we have exposure to the impact of fluctuations in exchange rates from transactions that are denominated in a currency other than our functional currency (the U.S. Dollar). Such transactions include sales and operating expenses. The most significant currencies affecting our operating results are the Euro, British Pound and Canadian Dollar.
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact on consolidated U.S. Dollar reported net sales revenue of approximately $2.5 million, or 0.1% for fiscal 2025, a favorable impact of approximately $6.8 million, or 0.3% for fiscal 2024 and an unfavorable impact of approximately $17.0 million, or 0.8% for fiscal 2023.
Variability of the Cough/Cold/Flu Season
Sales in several of our Beauty & Wellness segment categories are highly correlated to the severity of winter weather and cough/cold/flu incidence. In the U.S., the cough/cold/flu season historically runs from November through March, with peak activity normally in January to March. The 2024-2025 and 2023-2024 cough/cold/flu seasons were below historical averages seen prior to the impact of COVID-19. The 2022-2023 cough/cold/flu season was above historical averages, primarily early in the season, as respiratory infections surged in both children and adults and COVID-19 continued to be prevalent.
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Results of Operations
This section provides an analysis of our results of operations for fiscal year 2025 as compared to fiscal year 2024 including discussion of material changes. Refer to Item 7., “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 24, 2024, for an analysis and discussion of our fiscal year 2024 financial condition and results of operations as compared to fiscal year 2023, which such discussion is hereby incorporated by reference.
The following table provides selected operating data, in U.S. Dollars, as a percentage of net sales revenue, and as a year-over-year percentage change.
| Fiscal Years Ended Last Day of February, | % of Sales Revenue, net | % Change | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 (1) | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | 25/24 | |||||||||||||||
| Sales revenue by segment, net | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Home & Outdoor | $ | 906,331 | $ | 916,381 | 47.5 | % | 45.7 | % | (1.1) | % | ||||||||||
| Beauty & Wellness | 1,001,334 | 1,088,669 | 52.5 | % | 54.3 | % | (8.0) | % | ||||||||||||
| Total sales revenue, net | 1,907,665 | 2,005,050 | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | (4.9) | % | ||||||||||||
| Cost of goods sold | 993,259 | 1,056,390 | 52.1 | % | 52.7 | % | (6.0) | % | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 914,406 | 948,660 | 47.9 | % | 47.3 | % | (3.6) | % | ||||||||||||
| SG&A | 705,381 | 669,359 | 37.0 | % | 33.4 | % | 5.4 | % | ||||||||||||
| Asset impairment charges | 51,455 | — | 2.7 | % | — | % | — | % | ||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 14,822 | 18,712 | 0.8 | % | 0.9 | % | (20.8) | % | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | 142,748 | 260,589 | 7.5 | % | 13.0 | % | (45.2) | % | ||||||||||||
| Non-operating income, net | 838 | 1,518 | — | % | 0.1 | % | (44.8) | % | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 51,922 | 53,065 | 2.7 | % | 2.6 | % | (2.2) | % | ||||||||||||
| Income before income tax | 91,664 | 209,042 | 4.8 | % | 10.4 | % | (56.2) | % | ||||||||||||
| Income tax (benefit) expense | (32,087) | 40,448 | (1.7) | % | 2.0 | % | * | |||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 123,751 | $ | 168,594 | 6.5 | % | 8.4 | % | (26.6) | % |
(1)Fiscal 2025 includes approximately eleven weeks of operating results from Olive & June, acquired on December 16, 2024. For additional information see Note 6 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
* Calculation is not meaningful.
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Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to Fiscal 2024 Financial Results
•Consolidated net sales revenue decreased 4.9%, or $97.4 million, to $1,907.7 million compared to $2,005.1 million for the same period last year.
•Consolidated operating income decreased 45.2%, or $117.8 million, to $142.7 million, compared to $260.6 million for the same period last year. Consolidated operating margin decreased 5.5 percentage points to 7.5%, compared to 13.0% for the same period last year. Consolidated operating income for fiscal 2025 includes pre-tax asset impairment charges of $51.5 million, pre-tax restructuring charges of $14.8 million related to Project Pegasus and pre-tax acquisition-related expenses of $3.0 million. Consolidated operating income for fiscal 2024 included a pre-tax gain on sale of distribution and office facilities of $34.2 million, pre-tax restructuring charges of $18.7 million related to Project Pegasus and a pre-tax Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy charge of $4.2 million.
•Consolidated adjusted operating income decreased 16.3%, or $49.2 million, to $252.3 million, compared to $301.5 million for the same period last year. Consolidated adjusted operating margin decreased 1.8 percentage points to 13.2% of consolidated net sales revenue, compared to 15.0% for the same period last year.
•Net income decreased 26.6%, or $44.8 million, to $123.8 million, compared to $168.6 million for the same period last year. Diluted EPS decreased 23.6% to $5.37, compared to $7.03 for the same period last year.
•Adjusted income decreased 22.5% to $165.4 million, compared to $213.5 million for the same period last year. Adjusted diluted EPS decreased 19.5% to $7.17, compared to $8.91 for the same period last year.
Consolidated and Segment Net Sales Revenue
The following table summarizes the impact that Organic business, foreign currency and acquisitions had on our net sales revenue by segment:
| Fiscal Year Ended Last Day of February, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Home & Outdoor | Beauty & Wellness | Total | |||||||||||
| Fiscal 2024 sales revenue, net | $ | 916,381 | $ | 1,088,669 | $ | 2,005,050 | ||||||||
| Organic business | (9,205) | (108,670) | (117,875) | |||||||||||
| Impact of foreign currency | (845) | (1,675) | (2,520) | |||||||||||
| Acquisition (1) | — | 23,010 | 23,010 | |||||||||||
| Change in sales revenue, net | (10,050) | (87,335) | (97,385) | |||||||||||
| Fiscal 2025 sales revenue, net | $ | 906,331 | $ | 1,001,334 | $ | 1,907,665 | ||||||||
| Total net sales revenue growth (decline) | (1.1) | % | (8.0) | % | (4.9) | % | ||||||||
| Organic business | (1.0) | % | (10.0) | % | (5.9) | % | ||||||||
| Impact of foreign currency | (0.1) | % | (0.2) | % | (0.1) | % | ||||||||
| Acquisition | — | % | 2.1 | % | 1.1 | % |
(1)On December 16, 2024, we completed the acquisition of Olive & June. Olive & June sales are reported in Acquisition for the Beauty & Wellness segment in fiscal 2025 and consist of approximately eleven weeks of operating results. For additional information see Note 6 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
In the above table, Organic business refers to our net sales revenue associated with product lines or brands after the first twelve months from the date the product line or brand was acquired, excluding the
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impact that foreign currency remeasurement had on reported net sales revenue. Net sales revenue from internally developed brands or product lines is considered Organic business activity.
Consolidated Net Sales Revenue
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Consolidated net sales revenue decreased $97.4 million, or 4.9%, to $1,907.7 million, compared to $2,005.1 million. The decline was driven by a decrease from Organic business of $117.9 million, or 5.9%, primarily due to:
•a decline in Beauty & Wellness driven by softer consumer demand, increased competition and reduced orders from retail customers, net distribution declines within Beauty and softness in consecutive illness seasons unfavorably impacting Wellness; and
•a decline in Home & Outdoor primarily due to lower replenishment orders from retail customers, softer consumer demand, increased competition in the insulated beverageware category and the impact of shipping disruption at our Tennessee distribution facility due to automation startup issues affecting some of the segment's small retail customer and direct-to-consumer orders during the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
These factors were partially offset by international growth and higher sales of fans and thermometers.
The Olive & June acquisition contributed $23.0 million, or 1.1%, to consolidated net sales revenue growth. Net sales revenue was unfavorably impacted by net foreign currency fluctuations of approximately $2.5 million, or 0.1%.
Segment Net Sales Revenue
Home & Outdoor
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Net sales revenue decreased $10.1 million, or 1.1%, to $906.3 million, compared to $916.4 million. The decrease was primarily driven by:
•lower replenishment orders from retail customers;
•softer consumer demand;
•increased competition in the insulated beverageware category;
•a decrease in club and closeout channel sales in the home category;
•softness in the technical pack and accessory category; and
•the impact of shipping disruption at our Tennessee distribution facility due to automation startup issues affecting some of the segment's small retail customer and direct-to-consumer orders during the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
These factors were partially offset by:
•new and expanded distribution in the home and insulated beverageware categories;
•higher international sales primarily driven by new and expanded retailer distribution across all categories and strong demand for travel and lifestyle packs; and
•an increase in club channel sales in the insulated beverageware category.
Net sales revenue was unfavorably impacted by net foreign currency fluctuations of approximately $0.8 million, or 0.1%.
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Beauty & Wellness
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Net sales revenue decreased $87.3 million, or 8.0%, to $1,001.3 million, compared to $1,088.7 million. The decrease was primarily driven by a decrease from Organic business of $108.7 million, or 10.0%, primarily due to:
•a decline in sales of hair appliances and prestige hair care products primarily due to softer consumer demand, increased competition, net distribution declines and shipping disruption from Curlsmith system integration challenges;
•lower sales of humidifiers and air purifiers, primarily driven by reduced replenishment orders from retail customers due to a decline in consumer demand, overall softness in consecutive illness seasons and increased competition in air purification;
•a decrease in water filtration product revenue primarily driven by the expiration of an out-license relationship and category softness; and
•a decrease in heater sales primarily due to a slow start to the winter season and net distribution declines.
These factors were partially offset by an increase in fan and thermometer sales.
The Olive & June acquisition contributed $23.0 million, or 2.1%, to segment net sales revenue growth. Net sales revenue was unfavorably impacted by net foreign currency fluctuations of approximately $1.7 million, or 0.2%.
Consolidated Gross Profit Margin
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Consolidated gross profit margin increased 0.6 percentage points to 47.9%, compared to 47.3%. The increase in consolidated gross profit margin was primarily due to favorable inventory obsolescence expense year-over-year and lower commodity and product costs, partly driven by Project Pegasus initiatives.
These factors were partially offset by a less favorable product mix within the segments and a less favorable customer mix within Home & Outdoor.
Consolidated SG&A
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Consolidated SG&A ratio increased 3.6 percentage points to 37.0%, compared to 33.4%. The increase in the consolidated SG&A ratio was primarily due to:
•higher marketing expense as we reinvested back into our brands;
•the unfavorable comparative impact of a gain on the sale of the El Paso facility of $34.2 million recognized in the prior year;
•unfavorable distribution center expense primarily due to additional costs and lost efficiency associated with automation startup issues at our Tennessee distribution facility; and
•the impact of unfavorable operating leverage due to the decrease in net sales.
These factors were partially offset by lower overall personnel expense, primarily driven by lower annual incentive compensation expense.
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Asset Impairment Charges
Fiscal 2025
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, we recorded asset impairment charges of $51.5 million ($47.6 million after tax) to reduce the goodwill and definite-lived trade name of our Drybar business, which is included within our Beauty & Wellness segment. For additional information regarding the testing and analysis performed, refer to “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in this Item 7., “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.
Fiscal 2024
We did not record any asset impairment charges.
Restructuring Charges
Fiscal 2025
We incurred $14.8 million of pre-tax restructuring costs related primarily to severance and employee related costs, professional fees and contract termination costs under Project Pegasus. During fiscal 2025, we made total cash restructuring payments of $11.9 million and had a remaining liability of $7.7 million as of February 28, 2025.
Fiscal 2024
We incurred $18.7 million of pre-tax restructuring costs related primarily to professional fees and severance and employee related costs under Project Pegasus. During fiscal 2024, we made total cash restructuring payments of $18.7 million and had a remaining liability of $4.8 million as of February 29, 2024.
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Operating Income, Operating Margin, Adjusted Operating Income (non-GAAP), and Adjusted Operating Margin (non-GAAP) by Segment
In order to provide a better understanding of the impact of certain items on our operating income, the tables that follow report the comparative pre-tax impact of acquisition-related expenses, asset impairment charges, Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy, gain on sale of distribution and office facilities, restructuring charges, amortization of intangible assets, and non‐cash share‐based compensation, as applicable, on operating income and operating margin for each segment and in total for the periods presented below. Adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin may be considered non-GAAP financial measures as contemplated by SEC Regulation G, Rule 100. For additional information regarding management’s decision to present this non-GAAP financial information, see the introduction to this Item 7., “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
| Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Home & Outdoor | Beauty & Wellness (1) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating income, as reported (GAAP) | $ | 119,601 | 13.2 | % | $ | 23,147 | 2.3 | % | $ | 142,748 | 7.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Acquisition-related expenses | — | — | % | 3,035 | 0.3 | % | 3,035 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Asset impairment charges | — | — | % | 51,455 | 5.1 | % | 51,455 | 2.7 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 4,855 | 0.5 | % | 9,967 | 1.0 | % | 14,822 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Subtotal | 124,456 | 13.7 | % | 87,604 | 8.7 | % | 212,060 | 11.1 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 7,064 | 0.8 | % | 11,811 | 1.2 | % | 18,875 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Non-cash share-based compensation | 10,402 | 1.1 | % | 10,974 | 1.1 | % | 21,376 | 1.1 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) | $ | 141,922 | 15.7 | % | $ | 110,389 | 11.0 | % | $ | 252,311 | 13.2 | % |
| Fiscal Year Ended February 29, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Home & Outdoor | Beauty & Wellness | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating income, as reported (GAAP) | $ | 142,732 | 15.6 | % | $ | 117,857 | 10.8 | % | $ | 260,589 | 13.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy | 3,087 | 0.3 | % | 1,126 | 0.1 | % | 4,213 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gain on sale of distribution and office facilities | (16,175) | (1.8) | % | (18,015) | (1.7) | % | (34,190) | (1.7) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 5,144 | 0.6 | % | 13,568 | 1.2 | % | 18,712 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Subtotal | 134,788 | 14.7 | % | 114,536 | 10.5 | % | 249,324 | 12.4 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 7,057 | 0.8 | % | 11,269 | 1.0 | % | 18,326 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Non-cash share-based compensation | 16,319 | 1.8 | % | 17,553 | 1.6 | % | 33,872 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) | $ | 158,164 | 17.3 | % | $ | 143,358 | 13.2 | % | $ | 301,522 | 15.0 | % |
(1)Fiscal 2025 includes approximately eleven weeks of operating results from Olive & June, acquired on December 16, 2024. For additional information see Note 6 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
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Consolidated Operating Income
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Consolidated operating income was $142.7 million, or 7.5% of net sales revenue, compared to $260.6 million, or 13.0% of net sales revenue. Fiscal 2025 includes pre-tax acquisition-related expenses of $3.0 million, pre-tax asset impairment charges of $51.5 million, and pre-tax restructuring charges of $14.8 million, compared to a pre-tax Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy charge of $4.2 million, a pre-tax gain on sale of distribution and office facilities of $34.2 million and pre-tax restructuring charges of $18.7 million in fiscal 2024. The combined effect of these items unfavorably impacted the year-over-year comparison of consolidated operating margin by a combined 4.2 percentage points. The remaining 1.3 percentage point decrease in consolidated operating margin was primarily driven by:
•higher marketing and new product development expense as we reinvested back into our brands;
•a less favorable product mix within the segments and a less favorable customer mix within Home & Outdoor;
•unfavorable distribution center expense primarily due to additional costs and lost efficiency associated with automation startup issues at our Tennessee distribution facility; and
•the impact of unfavorable operating leverage due to the decrease in net sales.
These factors were partially offset by:
•favorable inventory obsolescence expense year-over-year;
•lower commodity and product costs, partly driven by Project Pegasus initiatives; and
•lower overall personnel expense primarily driven by lower annual incentive compensation expense.
Consolidated adjusted operating income decreased 16.3% to $252.3 million, or 13.2% of net sales revenue, compared to $301.5 million, or 15.0% of net sales revenue.
Home & Outdoor
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Operating income was $119.6 million, or 13.2% of segment net sales revenue, compared to $142.7 million, or 15.6% of segment net sales revenue. The 2.4 percentage point decrease in segment operating margin was primarily due to:
•the unfavorable comparative impact of a gain on the sale of the El Paso facility of $16.2 million recognized in the prior year;
•a less favorable product and customer mix;
•higher marketing expense as we reinvested back into our brands; and
•unfavorable distribution center expense primarily due to additional costs and lost efficiency associated with automation startup issues at our Tennessee distribution facility.
These factors were partially offset by:
•favorable inventory obsolescence expense year-over-year;
•lower commodity and product costs, partly driven by Project Pegasus initiatives; and
•lower overall personnel expense primarily driven by lower annual incentive compensation expense.
Adjusted operating income decreased 10.3% to $141.9 million, or 15.7% of segment net sales revenue, compared to $158.2 million, or 17.3% of segment net sales revenue.
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Beauty & Wellness
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Operating income was $23.1 million, or 2.3% of segment net sales revenue, compared to $117.9 million, or 10.8% of segment net sales revenue. Operating income in fiscal 2025 included $51.5 million of pre-tax asset impairment charges. The effect of this item unfavorably impacted the year-over-year comparison of segment operating margin by 5.1 percentage points. The remaining 3.4 percentage point decrease in segment operating margin was primarily due to:
•higher marketing and new product development expense as we reinvested back into our brands;
•the unfavorable comparative impact of a gain on the sale of the El Paso facility of $18.0 million recognized in the prior year;
•a less favorable product mix; and
•the impact of unfavorable operating leverage due to the decrease in net sales.
These factors were partially offset by:
•lower commodity and product costs, partly driven by Project Pegasus initiatives;
•favorable inventory obsolescence expense year-over-year; and
•lower overall personnel expense primarily driven by lower annual incentive compensation expense.
Adjusted operating income decreased 23.0% to $110.4 million, or 11.0% of segment net sales revenue, compared to $143.4 million, or 13.2% of segment net sales revenue.
Interest Expense
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Interest expense was $51.9 million, compared to $53.1 million. The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to lower average borrowings outstanding, partially offset by a higher average effective interest rate inclusive of the impact of our interest rate swaps compared to the prior year.
Income Tax Expense
The period-over-period comparison of our effective tax rate is often impacted by the mix of income in our various tax jurisdictions. Due to our organization in Bermuda and the ownership structure of our foreign subsidiaries, many of which are not owned directly or indirectly by a U.S. parent company, an immaterial amount of our foreign income is subject to U.S. taxation on a permanent basis under current law. Additionally, our intangible assets are largely owned by our foreign affiliates, resulting in proportionally higher earnings in jurisdictions with lower statutory tax rates, which historically had the effect of decreasing our overall effective tax rate.
The OECD has introduced a framework to implement a global minimum corporate income tax of 15%, referred to as “Pillar Two.” Certain countries in which we operate have enacted Pillar Two legislation and continue to modify their rules and guidance, often to align with ongoing OECD interpretive guidance on the “Model Rules.” Meanwhile, additional countries are in the process of introducing legislation to implement Pillar Two, even as the OECD continues to modify its administrative guidance. Pillar Two legislation effective for our fiscal 2025 has been incorporated into our financial statements. However, the extent to which other jurisdictions adopt or enact Pillar Two is uncertain and could increase the cost and complexity of compliance, and we expect that it could have a further material adverse affect on our global effective tax rate in fiscal 2026.
In response to Pillar Two, on May 24, 2024, Barbados enacted a domestic corporate income tax rate of 9%, effective for our fiscal 2025. We incorporated this corporate income tax into our income tax provision and revalued our existing deferred tax liabilities subject to the Barbados legislation, which resulted in a
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discrete tax charge of $6.0 million during fiscal 2025. Additionally, Barbados enacted a DMTT of 15% which applies to Barbados businesses that are part of multinational enterprise groups with annual revenue of €750 million or more and is effective beginning with our fiscal 2026. Although we currently do not expect the Barbados DMTT to have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements, we will continue to monitor and evaluate impacts as further regulatory guidance becomes available.
Like Barbados, the government of Bermuda enacted a 15% corporate income tax that will become effective for us in fiscal 2026. The Bermuda corporate income tax allows for a beginning net operating loss balance related to the five years preceding the effective date. Accordingly, during fiscal 2024, we recorded a deferred tax asset of $9.3 million for the Bermuda net operating losses generated from fiscal 2021 through 2024 with an offsetting valuation allowance of $9.3 million. Although we currently do not expect this Bermuda tax to have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements, we will continue to monitor and evaluate impacts as further regulatory guidance becomes available.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, we implemented a reorganization involving the transfer of intangible assets previously held by Helen of Troy Limited (Barbados). The reorganization resulted in the consolidation of the ownership of intangible assets, supporting streamlined internal licensing and centralized management of the intangible assets. As a result of the reorganization, additional intangible assets are now owned by our subsidiary in Switzerland. Further, the reorganization resulted in a transitional income tax benefit of $64.6 million from the recognition of a deferred tax asset, partially offset by taxes associated with the transfer.
Fiscal 2025 income tax benefit as a percentage of income before income tax was 35.0% compared to income tax expense of 19.3% for fiscal 2024, primarily due to the transitional tax benefit resulting from the intangible asset reorganization, a tax benefit related to a resolution of an uncertain tax position, the comparative impact of tax expense recognized in the prior year for the gain on the sale of the El Paso facility, partially offset by the Barbados tax legislation described above, including a discrete tax charge of $6.0 million during fiscal 2025 to revalue deferred tax liabilities, and shifts in the mix of income in our various tax jurisdictions.
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Net Income, Diluted EPS, Adjusted Income (non-GAAP), and Adjusted Diluted EPS (non-GAAP)
In order to provide a better understanding of the impact of certain items on our income and diluted EPS, the tables that follow report the comparative after-tax impact of acquisition-related expenses, asset impairment charges, Barbados tax reform, Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy, gain on sale of distribution and office facilities, intangible asset reorganization, restructuring charges, amortization of intangible assets, and non‐cash share‐based compensation, as applicable, on income and diluted EPS for the periods presented below. Adjusted income and adjusted diluted EPS may be considered non-GAAP financial measures as contemplated by SEC Regulation G, Rule 100. For additional information regarding management’s decision to present this non-GAAP financial information, see the introduction to this Item 7., “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
| Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Diluted EPS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except per share data) | Before Tax | Tax | Net of Tax | Before Tax | Tax | Net of Tax | ||||||||||||||||
| As reported (GAAP) | $ | 91,664 | $ | (32,087) | $ | 123,751 | $ | 3.97 | $ | (1.39) | $ | 5.37 | ||||||||||
| Acquisition-related expenses | 3,035 | — | 3,035 | 0.13 | — | 0.13 | ||||||||||||||||
| Asset impairment charges | 51,455 | 3,895 | 47,560 | 2.23 | 0.17 | 2.06 | ||||||||||||||||
| Barbados tax reform | — | (6,045) | 6,045 | — | (0.26) | 0.26 | ||||||||||||||||
| Intangible asset reorganization | — | 64,604 | (64,604) | — | 2.80 | (2.80) | ||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 14,822 | 1,433 | 13,389 | 0.64 | 0.06 | 0.58 | ||||||||||||||||
| Subtotal | 160,976 | 31,800 | 129,176 | 6.98 | 1.38 | 5.60 | ||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 18,875 | 2,798 | 16,077 | 0.82 | 0.12 | 0.70 | ||||||||||||||||
| Non-cash share-based compensation | 21,376 | 1,240 | 20,136 | 0.93 | 0.05 | 0.87 | ||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted (non-GAAP) | $ | 201,227 | $ | 35,838 | $ | 165,389 | $ | 8.72 | $ | 1.55 | $ | 7.17 | ||||||||||
| Weighted average shares of common stock used in computing diluted EPS | 23,065 |
| Fiscal Year Ended February 29, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Diluted EPS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except per share data) | Before Tax | Tax | Net of Tax | Before Tax | Tax | Net of Tax | ||||||||||||||||
| As reported (GAAP) | $ | 209,042 | $ | 40,448 | $ | 168,594 | $ | 8.72 | $ | 1.69 | $ | 7.03 | ||||||||||
| Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy | 4,213 | 53 | 4,160 | 0.18 | — | 0.17 | ||||||||||||||||
| Gain on sale of distribution and office facilities | (34,190) | (8,787) | (25,403) | (1.43) | (0.37) | (1.06) | ||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 18,712 | 234 | 18,478 | 0.78 | 0.01 | 0.77 | ||||||||||||||||
| Subtotal | 197,777 | 31,948 | 165,829 | 8.25 | 1.33 | 6.92 | ||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 18,326 | 2,447 | 15,879 | 0.76 | 0.10 | 0.66 | ||||||||||||||||
| Non-cash share-based compensation | 33,872 | 2,110 | 31,762 | 1.41 | 0.09 | 1.33 | ||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted (non-GAAP) | $ | 249,975 | $ | 36,505 | $ | 213,470 | $ | 10.43 | $ | 1.52 | $ | 8.91 | ||||||||||
| Weighted average shares of common stock used in computing diluted EPS | 23,970 |
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Net income was $123.8 million compared to $168.6 million. Diluted EPS was $5.37 compared to $7.03. Diluted EPS decreased primarily due to lower operating income inclusive of after-tax asset impairment charges of $47.6 million, partially offset by a decrease in the effective income tax rate due to a $64.6 million transitional income tax benefit recognized in connection with our intangible asset reorganization and lower weighted average diluted shares outstanding.
Adjusted income decreased $48.1 million, or 22.5%, to $165.4 million compared to $213.5 million. Adjusted diluted EPS decreased 19.5% to $7.17 compared to $8.91.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
We principally rely on our cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Credit Agreement to finance our operations, capital and intangible asset expenditures, acquisitions and share repurchases. Historically, our principal uses of cash to fund our operations have included operating expenses, primarily SG&A, and working capital, predominantly for inventory purchases and the extension of credit to our retail customers. We have typically been able to generate positive cash flow from operations sufficient to fund our operating activities. In the past, we have utilized a combination of available cash and existing, or additional, sources of financing to fund strategic acquisitions, share repurchases and capital investments. We generated $113.2 million in cash from operations during fiscal 2025 and had $18.9 million in cash and cash equivalents at February 28, 2025. As of February 28, 2025, the amount of cash and cash equivalents held by our foreign subsidiaries was $16.0 million. During fiscal 2025, we acquired Olive & June for $229.4 million in cash, net of cash acquired, and contingent cash consideration of up to $15.0 million, subject to Olive & June's performance during calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027, payable annually. The acquisition was funded with cash on hand and borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility. We have no existing activities involving special purpose entities or off-balance sheet financing.
Our anticipated material cash requirements in fiscal 2026 include the following:
•operating expenses, primarily SG&A and working capital predominately for inventory purchases and to carry normal levels of accounts receivable on our balance sheet;
•repayment of a current maturity of long term debt of $9.4 million;
•estimated interest payments of approximately $55.4 million based on outstanding debt obligations, weighted average interest rates and interest rate swaps in effect at February 28, 2025;
•minimum operating lease payments under existing obligations of approximately $8.2 million;
•minimum royalty payments under existing license agreements of approximately $6.3 million;
•restructuring payments under Project Pegasus of approximately $7.7 million (refer to Note 11 for additional information); and
•capital and intangible asset expenditures between approximately $25 million to $30 million to support ongoing operations and future infrastructure needs, including investments to transfer sourcing of certain products.
Our anticipated material cash requirements beyond fiscal 2026 include the following:
•operating expenses, primarily SG&A and working capital predominately for inventory purchases and to carry normal levels of accounts receivable on our balance sheet;
•outstanding long-term debt obligations maturing between fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2029, in an aggregate principal value of approximately $912.5 million, with $887.5 million of that amount maturing in fiscal 2029 (refer to Note 13 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information);
•estimated interest payments of approximately $55.0 million, $54.6 million, and $51.7 million in fiscal 2027, fiscal 2028, and fiscal 2029, respectively, based on outstanding debt obligations, weighted average interest rates and interest rate swaps in effect at February 28, 2025 (refer to Note 13 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information);
•minimum operating lease payments of approximately $48.5 million over the term of our existing operating lease arrangements (refer to Note 3 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information);
•minimum royalty payments of approximately $20.0 million over the term of the existing license agreements (refer to Note 12 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information); and
•capital and intangible asset expenditures to support ongoing operations and future infrastructure needs.
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Based on our current financial condition and current operations, we believe that cash flows from operations and available financing sources will continue to provide sufficient capital resources to fund our foreseeable short- and long-term liquidity requirements.
We continue to evaluate acquisition opportunities on a regular basis. We may finance acquisition activity with available cash, the issuance of shares of common stock, additional debt, or other sources of financing, depending upon the size and nature of any such transaction and the status of the capital markets at the time of such acquisition.
We may also elect to repurchase additional shares of common stock under our Board of Directors' authorization, subject to limitations contained in our debt agreement and based upon our assessment of a number of factors, including share price, trading volume and general market conditions, working capital requirements, general business conditions, financial conditions, any applicable contractual limitations, and other factors, including alternative investment opportunities. We may finance share repurchases with available cash, additional debt or other sources of financing. For additional information, see Item 5., “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” in this Annual Report.
Operating Activities
Comparison of Fiscal 2025 to 2024
Operating activities provided net cash of $113.2 million compared to $306.1 million. The decrease was primarily driven by increases in payments for inventory, annual incentive compensation and income taxes, as well as a decrease in cash earnings, partially offset by decreases in cash used for restructuring activities and interest payments.
Investing Activities
Investing activities used cash of $263.1 million in fiscal 2025 and provided cash of $5.4 million in fiscal 2024.
Highlights from Fiscal 2025
•We paid $229.4 million, net of cash acquired, to acquire Olive & June and made investments in capital and intangible asset expenditures of $30.1 million, of which $5.6 million primarily related to the implementation of an automation system at our new two million square foot distribution facility. Capital and intangible asset expenditures also included expenditures for computer, furniture and other equipment and tooling, molds, and other production equipment.
Highlights from Fiscal 2024
•We received proceeds of $49.5 million from the sale of our distribution and office facilities in El Paso, Texas and made investments in capital and intangible asset expenditures of $36.6 million, of which $19.3 million related to expenditures, primarily equipment, for our new distribution facility. Capital and intangible asset expenditures also included expenditures for computer, furniture and other equipment and tooling, molds, and other production equipment. In addition, we invested $9.6 million in U.S. Treasury Bills.
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Financing Activities
Financing activities provided cash of $150.2 million and used cash of $322.1 million in fiscal 2025 and 2024.
Highlights from Fiscal 2025
•we had proceeds of $1,096.6 million from revolving loans under our Credit Agreement;
•we repaid $840.5 million of revolving loans drawn under our Credit Agreement;
•we repaid $6.3 million of long-term debt; and
•we repurchased and retired 1,038,696 shares of common stock at an average price of $99.34 per share for a total purchase price of $103.2 million through a combination of open market purchases and the settlement of certain stock awards.
Highlights from Fiscal 2024
•we had proceeds of $1,415.5 million from revolving loans under our Credit Agreement and Prior Credit Agreement, net of lender fees paid in connection with the refinancing of our Credit Agreement;
•we repaid $1,686.6 million of revolving loans drawn under our Credit Agreement and Prior Credit Agreement;
•we received proceeds, net of lender fees, of $248.9 million from term loans under our Credit Agreement;
•we repaid $246.9 million of long-term debt which included the repayment of amounts outstanding on our term loans under the Prior Credit Agreement;
•we paid $2.0 million of third-party financing costs in connection with the refinancing of our Credit Agreement; and
•we repurchased and retired 432,532 shares of common stock at an average price of $127.67 per share for a total purchase price of $55.2 million through a combination of open market purchases and the settlement of certain stock awards.
Credit Agreement
Credit Agreement and Prior Credit Agreement
On February 15, 2024, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and other lenders. The Credit Agreement replaces our prior credit agreement (the “Prior Credit Agreement”), which terminated on February 15, 2024 and is further described below. We utilized the proceeds from the refinancing to repay all principal, interest, and fees outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement without penalty. As a result, we recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt within interest expense of $0.5 million during fiscal 2024, which consisted of a write-off of $0.4 million of unamortized prepaid financing fees related to the Prior Credit Agreement and $0.1 million of lender fees related to debt under the Credit Agreement treated as an extinguishment. Additionally, we expensed $0.3 million of third-party fees in fiscal 2024 related to debt under the Credit Agreement treated as a modification, which was recognized within interest expense. We capitalized $4.0 million of lender fees and $2.2 million of third-party fees incurred in connection with the Credit Agreement, which were recorded as prepaid financing fees in long-term debt and prepaid expenses and other current assets in the amounts of $5.4 million and $0.8 million, respectively.
The Credit Agreement provides for aggregate commitments of $1.5 billion, which are available through (i) a $1.0 billion revolving credit facility, which includes a $50 million sublimit for the issuance of letters of credit, (ii) a $250 million term loan facility, and (iii) a committed $250 million delayed draw term loan facility, which may be borrowed in multiple drawdowns until August 15, 2025. Proceeds can be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including funding permitted acquisitions. At the closing date of the Credit Agreement, we borrowed $457.5 million under the revolving credit facility and
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$250.0 million under the term loan facility and utilized the proceeds to repay all debt outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement matures on February 15, 2029. The Credit Agreement includes an accordion feature, which permits the Company to request to increase its borrowing capacity by an additional $300 million plus an unlimited amount when the Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) on a pro-forma basis is less than 3.25 to 1.00. The Company’s exercise of the accordion is subject to certain conditions being met, including lender approval.
Outstanding letters of credit reduce the borrowing availability under the Credit Agreement on a dollar-for-dollar basis. We are able to repay amounts borrowed at any time without penalty. Borrowings accrue interest under one of two alternative methods pursuant to the Credit Agreement as described below. With each borrowing against our credit line, we can elect the interest rate method based on our funding needs at the time. We also incur loan commitment and letter of credit fees under the Credit Agreement. The term loans are payable at the end of each fiscal quarter in equal installments of 0.625% through February 28, 2025, 0.9375% through February 28, 2026, and 1.25% thereafter of the original principal balance of the term loans, which began in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, with the remaining balance due at the maturity date. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear floating interest at either the Base Rate or Term SOFR (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus a margin based on the Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of 0% to 1.125% and 1.0% to 2.125% for Base Rate and Term SOFR borrowings, respectively, pursuant to the below table.
| Pricing Level | Net Leverage Ratio | Revolving Commitment Fee and Delayed Draw Commitment Fee | Term SOFR for Loans & Letter of Credit Fees | Base Rate for Loans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Less than 1.00 to 1.00 | 0.100% | 1.000% | 0.000% |
| II | Greater than or equal to 1.00 to 1.00 but less than 1.50 to 1.00 | 0.150% | 1.125% | 0.125% |
| III | Greater than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00 but less than 2.00 to 1.00 | 0.200% | 1.250% | 0.250% |
| IV | Greater than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00 but less than 2.50 to 1.00 | 0.250% | 1.500% | 0.500% |
| V | Greater than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00 but less than 3.00 to 1.00 | 0.300% | 1.750% | 0.750% |
| VI | Greater than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 but less than 3.50 to 1.00 | 0.350% | 2.000% | 1.000% |
| VII | Greater than or equal to 3.50 to 1.00 | 0.400% | 2.125% | 1.125% |
Our Prior Credit Agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and other lenders, provided for an unsecured total revolving commitment of $1.25 billion and a $300 million accordion, which could be used for term loan commitments. In June 2022, we exercised the accordion under the Prior Credit Agreement and borrowed $250 million as term loans. The proceeds from the term loans were used to repay revolving loans under the Prior Credit Agreement. The maturity date of the term loans and the revolving loans under the Prior Credit Agreement was March 13, 2025. Borrowings under the Prior Credit Agreement bore floating interest at either the Base Rate or Term SOFR (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement), plus a margin based on the Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement) of 0% to 1.0% and 1.0% to 2.0% for Base Rate and Term SOFR borrowings, respectively.
The floating interest rates on our borrowings under the Credit Agreement and Prior Credit Agreement are hedged with interest rate swaps to effectively fix interest rates on $550 million and $500 million of the outstanding principal balance under the Credit Agreement as of February 28, 2025 and February 29, 2024, respectively. See Notes 14, 15, and 16 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding our interest rate swaps.
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In connection with the acquisition of Olive & June, we provided notice of a qualified acquisition and borrowed $235.0 million under our Credit Agreement to fund the acquisition initial cash consideration inclusive of amounts for cash acquired. The exercise of the qualified acquisition notice triggered temporary adjustments to the maximum leverage ratio, which was 3.50 to 1.00 before the impact of the qualified acquisition notice. As a result of the qualified acquisition notice, commencing at the beginning of our fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, the maximum leverage ratio is 4.50 to 1.00 through November 30, 2025 and 3.50 to 1.00 thereafter. For additional information on the acquisition, see Note 6 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
As of February 28, 2025, the outstanding Credit Agreement principal balance was $921.9 million (excluding prepaid financing fees) and the balance of outstanding letters of credit was $9.5 million. The weighted average interest rate on borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement was 5.6% at February 28, 2025. As of February 28, 2025, the amount available for revolving loans under the Credit Agreement was $312.4 million and the amount available per the maximum leverage ratio was $446.1 million. Covenants in the Credit Agreement limit the amount of total indebtedness we can incur. As of February 28, 2025, these covenants effectively limited our ability to incur more than $312.4 million of additional debt from all sources, including the Credit Agreement, the lesser of the two borrowing limitations.
Debt Covenants
Our debt under our Credit Agreement is unconditionally guaranteed, on a joint and several basis, by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries. Our Credit Agreement requires the maintenance of certain key financial covenants, defined in the table below. Our Credit Agreement also contains other customary covenants, including, among other things, covenants restricting or limiting us, except under certain conditions set forth therein, from (1) incurring liens on our properties, (2) making certain types of investments, (3) incurring additional debt, and (4) assigning or transferring certain licenses. Our Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default, including failure to pay principal or interest when due, among others. Upon an event of default under our Credit Agreement, the lenders may, among other things, accelerate the maturity of any amounts outstanding. The commitments of the lenders to make loans to us under the Credit Agreement are several and not joint. Accordingly, if any lender fails to make loans to us, our available liquidity could be reduced by an amount up to the aggregate amount of such lender’s commitments under the Credit Agreement.
As of February 28, 2025, we were in compliance with all covenants as defined under the terms of the Credit Agreement.
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The table below provides the formulas currently in effect for certain key financial covenants as defined under our Credit Agreement:
| Applicable Financial Covenant | Credit Agreement |
|---|---|
| Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio | EBIT (1) ÷ Interest Expense (1) |
| Minimum Required: 3.00 to 1.00 | |
| Maximum Leverage Ratio | Total Current and Long Term Debt (2) ÷EBITDA (1) + Pro Forma Effect of Transactions |
| Maximum Currently Allowed: 4.50 to 1.00 (3) |
Key Definitions:
| EBIT: | Earnings + Interest Expense + Taxes + Non-Cash Charges (4) + Certain Allowed Addbacks (4) - Certain Non-Cash Income (4) | |
|---|---|---|
| EBITDA: | EBIT + Depreciation and Amortization Expense | |
| Pro Forma Effect of Transactions: | For any acquisition, pre-acquisition EBITDA of the acquired business is included so that the EBITDA of the acquired business included in the computation equals its twelve month trailing total. In addition, the amount of certain pro forma run-rate cost savings for acquisitions or dispositions may be added to EBIT and EBITDA. |
(1)Computed using totals for the latest reported four consecutive fiscal quarters.
(2)Computed using the ending debt balances plus outstanding letters of credit as of the latest reported fiscal quarter.
(3)In the event a qualified acquisition is consummated, the maximum leverage ratio is 4.50 to 1.00 for the first four fiscal quarters after the qualified acquisition is consummated. During fiscal 2025, we provided a qualified acquisition notice and, as a result, the maximum leverage ratio is 4.50 to 1.00 through November 30, 2025 and 3.50 to 1.00 thereafter.
(4)As defined in the Credit Agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The SEC defines critical accounting estimates as those made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on a company's financial condition or results of operations. We consider the following estimates to meet this definition and represent our more critical estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Income Taxes
We must make certain estimates and judgments in determining our provision for income tax expense. The provision for income tax expense is calculated on reported income before income taxes based on current tax law and includes, in the current period, the cumulative effect of any changes in tax rates from those used previously in determining deferred tax assets and liabilities. Tax laws may require items to be included in the determination of taxable income at different times from when the items are reflected in the financial statements. Deferred tax balances reflect the effects of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases, as well as from net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards, and are stated at enacted tax rates in effect for the year taxes are expected to be paid or recovered.
Deferred tax assets represent tax benefits for tax deductions or credits available in future years and require certain estimates and assumptions to determine whether it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the benefit will not be realized. The recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits is determined by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including the future reversal of existing taxable temporary differences, taxable income in carryback years, estimated future taxable income and available tax planning strategies. In projecting future taxable income, we begin with historical results and incorporate assumptions including future operating income, the reversal of temporary differences and the implementation of feasible and prudent tax planning strategies. These
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assumptions require significant judgement and are consistent with the plans and estimates we are using to manage our underlying business. Should a change in facts or circumstances, such as changes in our business plans, economic conditions or future tax legislation, lead to a change in judgment about the ultimate recoverability of a deferred tax asset, we record or adjust the related valuation allowance in the period that the change in facts and circumstances occurs, along with a corresponding increase or decrease in income tax expense. Additionally, if future taxable income varies from projected taxable income, we may be required to adjust our valuation allowance in future years.
In addition, the calculation of our tax liabilities requires us to account for uncertainties in the application of complex and evolving tax regulations. We recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on the two-step process prescribed within GAAP. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authority based upon its technical merits assuming the tax authority has full knowledge of all relevant information. To be recognized in the financial statements, the tax position must meet this more-likely-than-not threshold. For positions meeting this recognition threshold, the second step requires us to estimate and measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that has greater than a 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as this requires us to determine the probability of various possible outcomes. We reevaluate these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, effectively settled issues under audit, historical experience with similar tax matters, guidance from our tax advisors, and new audit activity. For tax positions that do not meet the threshold requirement, we record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits as a tax expense or benefit in the period recognized or reversed and disclose as a separate liability in our financial statements, including related accrued interest and penalties. A change in recognition or measurement would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision in the period in which the change occurs.
Valuation of Inventory
We record inventory on our balance sheet at the lower of average cost or net realizable value. We write down a portion of our inventory to net realizable value based on the historical sales trends of products and estimates about future demand and market conditions, among other factors. We regularly review our inventory for slow-moving items and for items that we are unable to sell at prices above their original cost. When we identify such an item, we use net realizable value as the basis for recording such inventory and base our estimates on expected future selling prices less expected disposal costs. These estimates entail a significant amount of inherent subjectivity and uncertainty. As a result, these estimates could vary significantly from the amounts that we may ultimately realize upon the sale of inventories if future economic conditions, product demand, product discontinuances, competitive conditions or other factors differ from our estimates and expectations. Additionally, changes in consumer demand, retailer inventory management strategies, transportation lead times, supplier capacity and raw material availability could make our inventory management and reserves more difficult to estimate.
Acquisitions, Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangibles, and Related Impairment Testing
A significant portion of our non-current assets consists of goodwill and intangible assets recorded as a result of past acquisitions. Accounting for business combinations requires the use of estimates and assumptions in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in order to properly allocate the purchase price. Goodwill is recorded as the difference, if any, between the aggregate consideration paid and the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired in the acquisition of a business. Our intangible assets acquired primarily include trade names and customer relationships. The fair value of our assets acquired and liabilities assumed are typically based upon valuations performed by independent third-party appraisers using the income approach, including estimated future discounted cash flow models (“DCF Models”), the relief from royalty method for trade names, and the distributor method for customer relationships. The fair value of our trade names and customer relationships acquired involved significant estimates and assumptions, including revenue growth rates,
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gross profit and operating profit margins, discount rates and royalty and customer attrition rates (as applicable). We believe that the fair value assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates that marketplace participants would use.
We review goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. We consider whether circumstances or conditions exist which suggest that the carrying value of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets might be impaired. If such circumstances or conditions exist, we perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the assets are impaired. We evaluate goodwill at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment). We operate two reportable segments, Home & Outdoor and Beauty & Wellness, which are comprised of eight reporting units, one of which does not have any goodwill recorded. If the results of the qualitative assessment indicate that it is more likely than not that the assets are impaired, further steps are required in order to determine whether the carrying value of each reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeds its fair market value. An impairment charge is recognized to the extent the goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible asset recorded exceeds the reporting unit’s or asset's fair value. We perform our annual impairment testing for goodwill and indefinite-lived assets as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of our fiscal year.
We use an enterprise premise to determine the fair value and carrying amount of our reporting units. All assets and liabilities that are employed in or relate to the operations of a reporting unit and will be considered in determining the fair value of the reporting unit are included in the carrying value of the reporting unit. Our reporting units’ net assets primarily consist of goodwill and intangible assets, which are assigned to a reporting unit upon acquisition, and accounts receivable and inventory which are directly identifiable. Assets and liabilities employed in or related to the operations of multiple reporting units as well as corporate assets and liabilities are primarily allocated to the reporting units based on specific identification or a percentage of net sales revenue.
We estimate the fair value of our reporting units using an income approach based upon projected future DCF Models. Under the DCF Model, the fair value of each reporting unit is determined based on the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at a risk-adjusted rate of return. We use internal forecasts and strategic long-term plans to estimate future cash flows, including net sales revenue, gross profit margin, and earnings before interest and taxes margins. Our internal strategic long-term plans were developed in tandem with our Elevate for Growth Strategy, which provides the Company’s strategic roadmap through fiscal 2030. Our internal forecasts and strategic long-term plans take into consideration historical and recent business results, industry trends and macroeconomic conditions. Other key estimates used in the DCF Model include, but are not limited to, discount rates, statutory tax rates, terminal growth rates, as well as working capital and capital expenditures needs. The discount rates are based on a weighted-average cost of capital utilizing industry market data of our peer group companies. Our goodwill impairment analysis also includes a reconciliation of the aggregate estimated fair values of our reporting units to the Company’s total enterprise value (market capitalization plus long-term debt).
We estimate the fair value of our indefinite-lived trade names and trademark licenses using the relief from royalty method income approach which is based upon a DCF Model. The relief-from-royalty method estimates the fair value of a trade name or trademark license by discounting the hypothetical avoided royalty payments to their present value over the economic life of the asset. The determination of fair value using this method entails a significant number of estimates and assumptions, which require management judgment, and include net sales revenue growth rates, discount rates, royalty rates, and residual growth rates. We use internal forecasts and strategic long-term plans (which are described above) to estimate net sales revenue growth rates and royalty rates. We utilize a constant growth model to determine the residual growth rates which are based upon long-term industry growth expectations and long-term expected inflation.
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Considerable management judgment is necessary in determining the fair value of goodwill and intangible assets (initially acquired and as part of our impairment testing), including the reasonableness of fair value estimates, evaluating the most likely impact of a range of possible external conditions, considering the resulting operating changes and their impact on estimated future cash flows, determining the appropriate discount factors to use, and selecting and weighting appropriate comparable market level inputs. When estimating expected future cash flows judgement is necessary in evaluating the impact of operational and external economic factors on future cash flows, all of which are subject to uncertainty. The recoverability of these assets is dependent upon achievement of our projections and the continued execution of key initiatives related to revenue growth and profitability. The assumptions and estimates used in our fair value analysis involve significant elements of subjective judgment and analysis by management. Certain future events and circumstances, including deterioration of retail economic conditions, higher cost of capital, a decline in actual and expected consumer demand, among others, could result in changes to these assumptions and judgements. While we believe that the estimates and assumptions we use are reasonable at the time made, changes in business conditions or other unanticipated events and circumstances may occur that cause actual results to differ materially from projected results and this could potentially require future adjustments to our asset valuations.
During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, we concluded that a goodwill impairment triggering event had occurred primarily due to a sustained decline in our stock price. Additional factors that contributed to this conclusion included current macroeconomic trends and uncertainty surrounding inflation and high interest rates, which negatively impact consumer disposable income, credit availability, spending and overall consumer confidence, all of which had and may continue to adversely impact our sales, results of operations and cash flows. These factors were applicable to all of our reporting units which resulted in us performing quantitative goodwill impairment testing on all of our reporting units. We considered whether these events and circumstances would affect any other assets and concluded we should perform quantitative impairment testing on our indefinite-lived trademark licenses and trade names. The quantitative assessments performed during the second quarter of fiscal 2025 did not result in impairment of our goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets. All of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets had a fair value that exceeded their carrying value by at least 10%.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, we concluded a goodwill impairment triggering event had occurred due to a continued sustained decline in our stock price, resulting in our carrying value (excluding long-term debt) exceeding the Company's total enterprise value (market capitalization plus long-term debt). Additional factors that contributed to this conclusion included downward revisions to our internal forecasts and strategic long-term plans. These factors were applicable to all of our reporting units and indefinite-lived and definite-lived trademark licenses and trade names.
The quantitative assessments performed during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 resulted in an impairment charge of $38.7 million to reduce the goodwill of our Drybar reporting unit, which is included within our Beauty & Wellness segment. Our Drybar business has continued to experience a decline in net sales revenue due to lower consumer demand, increased competition, and net distribution declines, all of which have contributed to reduced earnings and cash flows. In connection with our annual budgeting and forecasting process, management reduced its forecasts of Drybar's net sales revenue growth, gross margin and earnings before interest and taxes. An inability to achieve expected revenue growth and profitability in line with our internal projections could result in further declines in the fair value that may result in additional impairment charges to our Drybar goodwill.
Our impairment testing did not result in impairment of our indefinite-lived intangible assets. All of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets had a fair value that exceeded their carrying value by at least 10% except for our Curlsmith reporting unit and our PUR trade name.
The fair value of our Curlsmith reporting unit, within our Beauty & Wellness reportable segment, represented 106% of its carrying value as of the end of fiscal 2025. We performed a sensitivity analysis
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on key assumptions used in the valuation. A hypothetical adverse change of 10% in the forecasted sales used to estimate the fair value of the Curlsmith reporting unit would have resulted in an impairment charge of approximately $41.6 million against its goodwill carrying value of $117.1 million as of the end of fiscal 2025.
The fair value of our PUR indefinite-lived trade name, within our Beauty & Wellness reportable segment,
represented 102% of its carrying value as of the end of fiscal 2025. We performed a sensitivity analysis on key assumptions used in the valuation. A hypothetical adverse change of 10% in the forecasted sales used to estimate the fair value of the PUR trade name would have resulted in an impairment charge of approximately $4.0 million against its carrying value of $54.0 million as of the end of fiscal 2025.
Refer to “Impairment of Long-Lived Assets” below for discussion of our definite-lived trademark license and trade name testing.
We performed our annual impairment testing of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 and 2023 and determined based on our qualitative assessment that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible asset is lower than its carrying value. Therefore, quantitative impairment testing in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 was not required. Accordingly, no impairment changes were recorded during fiscal 2024 and 2023.
Some of the inherent estimates and assumptions used in determining the fair value of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets are outside of the control of management, including interest rates, cost of capital, tax rates, strength of retail economies and industry growth. While we believe that the estimates and assumptions we use are reasonable at the time made, it is possible changes could occur. The recoverability of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets is dependent upon discretionary consumer demand and the execution of our Elevate for Growth Strategy, which includes investing in our brands, growing internationally, new product introductions and expanded distribution to drive revenue growth and profitability and achieve our projections. The net sales revenue and profitability growth rates used in our projections are management’s estimate of the most likely results over time, given a wide range of potential outcomes. Actual results may differ from those assumed in forecasts, which could result in material impairment charges. We will continue to monitor our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets for any triggering events or other signs of impairment including consideration of changes in the macroeconomic environment, significant declines in operating results, further significant sustained decline in market capitalization from current levels, and other factors, which could result in impairment charges in the future.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
We review intangible assets with definite lives and long-lived assets held and used if a triggering event occurs during the reporting period. If such circumstances or conditions exist, further steps are required in order to determine whether the carrying value of each of the individual assets exceeds its fair market value. If our analysis indicates that an individual asset's carrying value does exceed its fair market value, the next step is to record a loss equal to the excess of the individual asset's carrying value over its fair value. We evaluate any long-lived assets held for sale quarterly to determine if estimated fair value less cost to sell has changed during the reporting period.
We estimate the fair value of our trade names and trademark licenses using the relief from royalty method income approach (described above) which is based upon a DCF Model. We estimate the fair value of our customer relationships and lists using the distributor method income approach which is based upon a DCF Model. The distributor method uses financial margin information for distributors within the applicable industry and most representative of the Company to estimate a royalty rate. The determination of fair value using these methods entails a significant number of estimates and assumptions, which require management judgment, and include net sales revenue growth rates, discount rates, royalty rates, residual growth rates (as applicable) and customer attrition rates (as applicable). We
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use internal forecasts and strategic long-term plans (which are described above) to estimate net sales revenue growth rates and royalty rates. We utilize a constant growth model to determine the residual growth rates which are based upon long-term industry growth expectations and long-term expected inflation.
The assumptions and estimates used in determining the fair value of our definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets involve significant elements of subjective judgment and analysis by management. Certain future events and circumstances, including deterioration of retail economic conditions, higher cost of capital, a decline in actual and expected consumer demand, could result in changes to these assumptions and judgements. A revision of these estimates and assumptions could cause the fair values of the definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets to fall below their respective carrying values, resulting in impairment charges, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
As described above, during the second quarter of fiscal 2025, we concluded that an impairment triggering event had occurred and concluded to perform quantitative impairment analyses on our definite-lived trademark licenses, trade names, and customer relationships and lists. Our definite-lived intangible asset impairment test compares the fair value of our intangible assets with their carrying amount and an impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value. The quantitative assessments performed during the second quarter of fiscal 2025 did not result in any impairment of these intangible assets. All of our definite-lived trademark licenses, trade names, and customer relationships and lists had a fair value that exceeded their carrying value by at least 10%.
As described above, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, we concluded that an impairment triggering event had occurred and concluded to perform quantitative impairment analyses on our definite-lived trademark licenses and trade names. Our definite-lived trademark license and trade name testing resulted in an impairment charge of $12.8 million to reduce the carrying value of our Drybar definite-lived trade name to an estimated fair value of $7.0 million. Our Drybar business and trade name is included within our Beauty & Wellness segment and has continued to experience a decline in net sales revenue due to lower consumer demand, increased competition, and net distribution declines, all of which have contributed to reduced earnings and cash flows. In connection with our annual budgeting and forecasting process, management reduced its forecasts of Drybar's net sales revenue growth, gross margin and earnings before interest and taxes which also resulted in management selecting a lower royalty rate. An inability to achieve expected revenue growth and profitability in line with our internal projections could result in further declines in the fair value that may result in additional impairment charges to our definite-lived Drybar trade name.
All of our definite-lived trademark licenses and trade names had a fair value that exceeded their carrying value by at least 10% except for our Curlsmith trade name and Revlon trademark license.
The fair value of our Curlsmith trade name, within our Beauty & Wellness reportable segment,
represented 105% of its carrying value as of the end of fiscal 2025. We performed a sensitivity analysis on key assumptions used in the valuation. A hypothetical adverse change of 10% in the forecasted sales used to estimate the fair value of the Curlsmith trade name would have resulted in an impairment charge of approximately $1.0 million against its carrying value of $18.0 million as of the end of fiscal 2025.
The fair value of our Revlon trademark license, within our Beauty & Wellness reportable segment,
represented 109% of its carrying value as of the end of fiscal 2025. We performed a sensitivity analysis on key assumptions used in the valuation. A hypothetical adverse change of 10% in the forecasted sales used to estimate the fair value of the Revlon trademark license would have resulted in an impairment charge of approximately $0.9 million against its carrying value of $64.9 million as of the end of fiscal 2025.
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During fiscal 2024 and 2023 we determined no changes in circumstances or conditions or events occurred that would indicate the carrying value of our definite-lived intangible assets may not be recoverable.
The estimates and assumptions inherent in determining the fair value of our definite-lived intangible assets are subject to the same risks described above for determining the fair value of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Further declines in anticipated consumer spending or an inability to achieve expected revenue growth and profitability in line with our Elevate for Growth Strategy could result in declines in the fair value that may result in impairment charges to our definite-lived intangible assets. We will continue to monitor our definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets for any triggering events or other signs of impairment including consideration of changes in the macroeconomic environment, significant declines in sales or operating results, and other factors, which could result in impairment charges in the future. For additional information, refer to Note 1 and Note 7 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Economic Useful Lives of Intangible Assets
We amortize intangible assets, such as trademark licenses, trade names, customer relationships and lists, patents and non-compete agreements over their economic useful lives, unless those assets' economic useful lives are indefinite. If an intangible asset’s economic useful life is deemed indefinite, that asset is not amortized. The determination of the economic useful life of an intangible asset requires a significant amount of judgment and entails significant subjectivity and uncertainty. When we acquire an intangible asset, we consider factors such as our plans for the asset, the market for products associated with the asset, economic factors, any legal, regulatory or contractual provisions and industry trends. We consider these same factors when reviewing the economic useful lives of our previously acquired intangible assets as well. We review the economic useful lives of our intangible assets at least annually. We complete our analysis of the remaining useful economic lives of our intangible assets during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year or when a triggering event occurs.
Share-Based Compensation
We grant share-based compensation awards to non-employee directors and certain associates under our equity plans. We measure the cost of services received in exchange for equity awards, which include grants of restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance stock awards (“PSAs”), and performance stock units (“PSUs”), based on the fair value of the awards on the grant date. These awards may be subject to attainment of certain service conditions, performance conditions and/or market conditions.
We grant PSAs and PSUs to certain officers and associates, which cliff vest after three years and are contingent upon meeting one or more defined operational performance metrics over the three year performance period (“Performance Condition Awards”). The quantity of shares ultimately awarded can range from 0% to 200% of “Target”, as defined in the award agreement as 100%, based on the level of achievement against the defined operational performance metrics. We recognize compensation expense for Performance Condition Awards over the requisite service period to the extent performance conditions are considered probable. Estimating the number of shares of Performance Condition Awards that are probable of vesting requires judgment, including assumptions about future operating performance. While the assumptions used to estimate the probability of achievement against the defined operational performance metrics are management's best estimates, such estimates involve inherent uncertainties. The extent actual results or updated estimates differ from our current estimates, such amounts will be recorded as a cumulative adjustment to share-based compensation expense in the period estimates are revised.
The critical accounting estimates described above supplement the description of our accounting policies disclosed in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Note 1 describes several
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other policies that are important to the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, but do not meet the SEC's definition of critical accounting estimates.
Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain written and oral statements in this Annual Report may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This includes statements made in this Annual Report, in other filings with the SEC, in press releases, and in certain other oral and written presentations. Generally, the words “anticipates”, “assumes”, “believes”, “expects”, “plans”, “may”, “will”, “might”, “would”, “should”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “currently”, “continue”, “intends”, “outlook”, “forecasts”, “targets”, “reflects”, “could”, and other similar words identify forward-looking statements. All statements that address operating results, events or developments that we expect or anticipate may occur in the future, including statements related to sales, expenses, EPS results, and statements expressing general expectations about future operating results, are forward-looking statements and are based upon our current expectations and various assumptions. We believe there is a reasonable basis for our expectations and assumptions, but there can be no assurance that we will realize our expectations or that our assumptions will prove correct. Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made and are subject to risks that could cause them to differ materially from actual results. Accordingly, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We believe that these risks include but are not limited to the risks described in this Annual Report under Item 1A., “Risk Factors” and that are otherwise described from time to time in our SEC reports as filed. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.