A Surprise Q1 Loss and Weak Top-Line Results Send Spectrum Brands 17.7% Lower Thursday
What happened?
Shares of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB), a global diversified consumer-products company with brands that include Pfister, Remington, George Foreman, Littermaid, and many others shed 17.7% of their value Thursday after reporting a surprise loss and weaker-than-anticipated first-quarter fiscal 2019 results.
So what
Management reported a surprise first-quarter adjusted loss of $0.20 per share, compared to analyst estimates calling for adjusted earnings of $0.38 per share. Revenue declined just under 5%, to $874.6 million, also missing analyst estimates calling for $911 million.
Two factors weighing on the company's top-line results were lower first-quarter sales in hardware and home improvement (HHI) due to the absence of prior-year hurricane recovery demand and lower global personal-care revenues for its home and personal care (HPC) business.
"We achieved significant progress in January in the transformation of Spectrum Brands into a meaningfully stronger and more focused consumer products company with greater flexibility to drive long-term growth and value creation," said David Maura, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Brands, in a press release.
Image source: Getty Images.
Now what
It was certainly a weaker-than-expected result from the company, but investors have to keep in mind that the company generally has a stronger second half due to seasonality, which gives its home and garden and HHI a chance to offset early 2019 weakness with a stronger back-end performance. Investors will want to watch the company's home and personal care business as management increases investments in innovation and marketing behind its stronger brands in hopes to improve growth.
It's also worth noting management didn't lower guidance after the disappointing results and reiterated its fiscal 2019 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $560 million to $580 million, even including its planned increase in advertising and product development.
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Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
