Benzinga - by Zacks, Benzinga Contributor.
Energizer Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ENR) demonstrates robust financial and operational performances, marked by significant progress in debt reduction. The company's strategic initiatives, including the cost-effective measures under Project Momentum, have significantly bolstered profitability, particularly in the Auto Care sector.
Despite mixed results in product performance, Energizer's forward-looking strategies, involving market expansion, enhanced digital capabilities and innovation, position it well for sustained growth. As the company continues to optimize its operational efficiencies and explore market opportunities, it remains a compelling prospect for investors looking for stability and strategic growth in their portfolios.
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Digging Deeper The company's performance highlights robust financial health, reflecting a sound strategy that can adapt and outperform under various market conditions. Over the second quarter, Energizer succeeded in paying down more than $60 million in debt, with a projected leverage decrease to below 5X by fiscal 2024.
Over the past seven quarters, Energizer has reduced its debt by $425 million and decreased its leverage by nearly one turn. The company's debt structure remains strong, with a weighted average cost of debt at 4.6% and no significant debt maturities until 2027. This strategic reduction in debt is crucial, not just for improving the balance sheet but also for enhancing the company's attractiveness to investors looking for financially stable opportunities.
Energizer is actively expanding its growth strategy through innovation and strategic market expansions. The company is enhancing its e-commerce and digital infrastructure to better capture growth online across various markets, which is a strategic move considering the increasing shift toward online shopping.
Alongside this, Energizer is leveraging advanced data analytics for improved pricing and revenue management, expanding brand visibility and probing strategic opportunities in attractive international markets. These initiatives are designed not just to bolster the current performance but to position Energizer strategically for future market dynamics.
For third-quarter 2024, Energizer's projections remain bullish, with 1% anticipated year-over-year growth in organic net sales and a 150-basis-point improvement in the gross margin. The company expects adjusted earnings per share to increase 20% at the mid-point of its guidance range. These projections reflect a confident outlook based on the company's ongoing strategic initiatives and previous successes.
Project Momentum Strategy Bodes Well Central to Energizer's cost-management strategy is its initiative, Project Momentum, which has become a cornerstone of operational efficiency. As of the second quarter of 2024, this initiative has realized nearly $100 million in cost savings. Also, the adjusted gross margin expanded 260 basis points, reaching 40.5% in the second quarter. This increase was primarily driven by Project Momentum, which contributed $11 million to savings, along with lower input costs due to favorable commodity pricing and reduced ocean freight costs.
These savings have translated into a significant profitability improvement, especially within the Auto Care segment, which saw a 600-basis-point year over year expansion in segmental profit. The disciplined approach to cost management through Project Momentum underscores Energizer's capability to sustain margin improvements and financial health, which are vital for catalyzing growth. The company anticipates total savings from this program between $160 million and $180 million over three years, with expected savings of $55-$65 million for fiscal 2024.
Wrapping up Despite these positive developments, Energizer's Batteries & Lights segment faced challenges, with revenues decreasing 4.9% year over year to $481 million in the fiscal second quarter. This segment also encountered competitive pressures from private labels, highlighting ongoing challenges despite broader efforts to stabilize and regain market strength. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company's shares have lost 7.4% in the past six months compared with the industry's decline of 0.4%.
However, the company's proactive initiatives and strong financial management position it well for success.
Key Picks Some better-ranked stocks are Freshpet Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT), Vital Farms Inc. (NASDAQ: VITL) and Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR).
Freshpet is a pet food company. It flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Freshpet's current fiscal-year earnings and sales indicates declines of 177.1% and 24.8%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. FRPT has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 118.2%.
Vital Farms offers a range of produced pasture-raised foods. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vital Farms's current financial-year earnings and sales indicates declines of 59.3% and 22.5%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. VITL has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 102.1%.
Ingredion serves diverse sectors in food, beverage, brewing, pharmaceuticals and other industries. It presently has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). INGR has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 10.1%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ingredion's current fiscal-year earnings indicates growth of 3.6% from the prior-year actual.
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