Oct 8, 2026 earnings call — Tariff refunds and revised fiscal '27 guidance
Company narrowed fiscal '27 net sales to $1.768 billion to $1.822 billion and raised consolidated adjusted EPS to $3.60 to $4.15.
Revenue $0.4B (est $0.4B) · EPS $0.79 (est $0.50)
Key quotes
"Our outlook for the full year now includes a gross tariff refund benefit for the full amount of [ IEEPA ] tariffs paid of $80.5 million."
"It's about brand growth, driving sales growth through disciplined investment in brands and categories where we believe we have a clear path to win."
"For the first half of the fiscal year, we generated free cash flow of $38 million."
Analyst Q&A 4
consumer behavior and input costs
Q (Peter Grom · UBS): Analyst asked if Helen of Troy sees any recent shifts in core consumer behavior. He also asked them to unpack their broader cost basket and how they see inflation trending.
A: Management said most outcomes come from things they control (about 80%) and a smaller share (20%) from external consumer factors. They are focused on three phases: invest in brands, build an operating model closer to the consumer, and drive balance sheet productivity. They said the middle-market consumer is under pressure from fuel, interest rates and cost of living, and that inflationary costs have largely stabilized versus their original estimates.
"As I've always said and we continue to believe that 80% of our opportunity is related to things that we control within our building and 20% are the things that are happening around the world and around the consumer." — George Uzzell (CEO)
brand performance and tariff refund reinvestment
Q (Bob Labick · CJS): Analyst asked which brands and categories are gaining or losing share and asked for more detail on how the tariff refund is being reinvested and when benefits will appear.
A: Management named strength in Home & Outdoor (including OXO and Osprey), Olive & June, and Braun, and said Beauty & Wellness is complex and uneven across the portfolio. They are fixing fundamentals in beauty: new leadership, strategy, faster product development, and omnichannel work. On the tariff refunds, they said the money is being used as both investment and to "put problems behind us" — cleaning inventory, packaging, brand investment, and a mix of near-term spend (about 25% with fiscal '27 ROI), longer-term foundation work, and some to pretax earnings.
"I kind of view it as investment and expression I often use, putting problems behind us." — Brian Grass (CFO)
revenue outlook and Hydro Flask growth
Q (Olivia Tong Cheang · Raymond James): Analyst asked why Home & Outdoor growth is guided to decelerate in the second half while Beauty & Wellness shows some improvement. He also asked about drivers of the Home & Outdoor outlook change and the long-term opportunity for Hydro Flask and drinkware.
A: Management said FY '27 is about building markers of progress and executing a multiyear transformation while watching the consumer. They said they remain very confident in Hydro Flask and are focusing on telling the brand story to core fans, innovating (for example Micro Hydro), and expanding into adjacencies. They also said the beverageware category is somewhat saturated and promotional, so they will avoid heavy promotions to protect premium positioning, and they see some channel inventory correction that may pressure second-half sales; wellness trends in beauty are improving.
"I still have really, really high confidence in Hydro Flask and confidence in that team." — George Uzzell (CEO)
Hydro Flask impact and growth sources
Q (Susan Anderson · Canaccord Genuity): Analyst asked whether Hydro Flask is the main driver of the lower Home & Outdoor sales outlook and how Q2 Home & Outdoor growth split between new space, international, and U.S. growth. He also asked about the drivers for Beauty & Wellness in the back half and the prestige beauty trajectory.
A: Management confirmed Hydro Flask is the driver of the Home & Outdoor revenue revision. They said Q2 growth used all levers — new products, distribution, category expansion and international — and no single lever dominated. For Beauty & Wellness they said the year remains challenging: new leadership, pulling forward product pipeline and storytelling work, but they see improving POS trends in prestige, potential price recalibration in mass (Revlon), and strength in wellness and Olive & June.
"So on the first question, yes, Hydro is the driver of the Home & Outdoor revision to our outlook for revenue." — Brian Grass (CFO)