Ricardo Pillai
3 min read
In This Article:
We came across a bullish thesis on Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) on Value Investing subreddit by Individual_Buy7254. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on HELE. Helen of Troy Limited (HELE)'s share was trading at $27.91 as of 4th June. HELE’s trailing and forward P/E were 5.14 and 5.18 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.
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Helen of Troy (HELE), owner of steady cash-generating consumer brands like OXO, Hydro Flask, Braun, and Osprey, is trading at just 3.5x adjusted P/E—an irrationally low valuation given the company’s underlying fundamentals. Much of this dislocation stems from overblown tariff fears, misunderstood one-time charges like the non-cash Drybar impairment, and temporary headwinds such as lower-margin sales post-COVID.
The company is addressing these issues through Project Pegasus, a multi-year cost-saving initiative expected to deliver $75–85 million annually by 2027, while also reducing its China exposure below 20% of COGS by 2026. Beauty and wellness brands are rebounding, with Olive & June growing 8.7% in Q4, and Drybar’s restructuring now complete. At the same time, HELE’s $7.17 FY25 EPS and modest leverage (net debt/EBITDA ~3x with 4x interest coverage) highlight its financial resilience.
While the stock was overvalued during the COVID bull run, trading at nearly 30x earnings in December 2021 due to a temporary boost in household items, the nearly 90% decline since then has been largely due to multiple contractions, not a fundamental collapse. Revenue has declined slightly from $2.1B in 2021 to a projected $1.9B in FY2025, but book value has grown by about 40%, showing the business isn't burning cash.
Now trading below book value, HELE is a traditional, cash-generative business with recession-resistant brands that offer stability. With a base-case 50–100% upside and private equity interest a plausible catalyst, this is a classic value play with limited downside and significant rerating potential as execution continues.
Previously, we have covered a bullish thesis on On Holding AG (ONON) in October 2024, written by Sanjiv on Substack, which, like Helen of Troy (HELE), operates in the consumer space with strong brand equity and margin expansion potential. While ONON represents a premium growth story and HELE a classic value opportunity, both showcase how differentiated brands can thrive despite broader market pressures.
Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 22 hedge fund portfolios held HELE at the end of the first quarter which was 28 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of HELE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
