Helen Of Troy Profit Q3 Rises

(RTTNews) - Consumer products company Helen of Troy Ltd (HELE) Thursday reported an increase in profit for the third quarter, as revenues increased and margins improved. Earnings for the quarter trumped analysts' estimates as did revenues. Shares of the company gained five percent in the after-hours trade.

El Paso, Texas-based Helen of Troy's third-quarter profit rose to $55.4 million or $1.92 per share from $37.5 million or $1.16 per share last year.

Adjusted earnings for the quarter rose to $2.17 per share from $1.37 per share a year ago. On average, three analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimated earnings of $1.57 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Revenues for the third quarter rose to $435.7 million from $380.7 million last year. Analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $413.44 million.

Gross margin for the quarter improved to 41.6 percent from 38.8 percent a year ago, while selling and general expenses, as a percent of sales, rose to 26.7 percent from 25.8 percent last year.

Moving ahead, the company has increased its expectation for the full year 2015 to reflect the higher than expected third quarter results. The company now expects net sales revenue excluding Healthy Directions in the range of $1.290 billion to $1.315 billion and adjusted revenues of $5.01 to $5.11 per share.

Analysts currently estimate earnings of $4.92 per share on revenues of $1.40 billion for the quarter.

HELE closed Thursday's trading at $66.58, up $1.83 or 2.83%, on the Nasdaq. The stock further rose $3.42 or 5.14% in the after-hours trade.