Business
E.l.f. Beauty stock plunges 29% on weak guidance, tariff impact
Hailey Bieber’s cosmetics line Rhode is expected to increase E.l.f. Beauty‘s annual sales by $200 million this fiscal year, but its new parent company’s full-year guidance still fell below expectations, leading its stock to plunge 29% Wednesday.
E.l.f., which declined to release full-year guidance last quarter, is expecting full-year revenue to be between $1.55 billion and $1.57 billion, implying 18% to 20% sales growth. That’s far below the $1.65 billion analysts were expecting, according to LSEG.
In an interview with CNBC, CEO Tarang Amin said Rhode, which the company acquired earlier this year in a blockbuster $1 billion deal, is expected to increase its annual sales by $200 million this fiscal year and by $300 million on an annual run rate basis.
Rhode’s expected contribution to sales represents about 13% of its revenue forecast, highlighting just how important the deal is to E.l.f’s future as its outsized growth continues to moderate. It shows that E.l.f. needs Rhode to help it grow in the quarters ahead and without the acquisition, its potential for higher revenue could have been far slimmer.
On the profitability side, E.l.f. expects full-year adjusted earnings per share to be between $2.80 and $2.85, far below expectations of $3.58, according to LSEG.
In addition to guidance, E.l.f. missed revenue estimates but beat on earnings in its fiscal second quarter results.
Here’s how the beauty company did compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: 68 cents adjusted vs. 57 cents expected
- Revenue: $344 million vs. $366 million expected
The company’s reported net income for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30 was $3 million, or 5 cents per share, compared with $19 million, or 33 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items related to stock-based compensation and other non-recurring charges, E.l.f. saw earnings of 68 cents per share.
Sales rose to $344 million, up about 14% from $301 million a year earlier.
Amin blamed the misses on revenue and guidance on the fact the company didn’t release guidance last quarter, which he said can impact consensus estimates.
“We actually believe both the sales that we delivered, as well as the guidance on net sales, are quite strong,” he said.
E.l.f., which primarily sources its makeup from China, has seen its profitability crushed by President Donald Trump‘s new tariffs. During the quarter, its net income fell by a staggering 84% while the company said its gross margin fell by 1.65 percentage points, primarily driven by higher tariff costs.
Amin said the second quarter is expected to see the greatest hit from tariffs and the impact is expected to moderate sequentially from there.
“In response to tariffs, we took our prices up $1, that was effective Aug. 1 so you’re seeing tariff impact without pricing in this quarter,” Amin said. “In the second half of the year, gross margin will actually improve sequentially.
In the absence of major product launches from its namesake brand, which Amin said are currently in the works, Rhode is E.l.f.’s primary growth driver and for now, the business is growing by about 40% year over year, he said.
It launched in Sephora stores nationwide in September and was the biggest brand launch the retailer has seen in North America in its history, Amin said.
“It was two and a half times bigger than the number two, [Sephora’s] second biggest launch ever, so it’s performed extremely well,” Amin said. “We continue to see incredible potential for growth, not only in North America where we just launched and in the UK where we’re about to launch, but also internationally. … We definitely see global potential for that brand and see it being much bigger than it is today.”
Business
US consumer price inflation hits 3.8% in April, highest in nearly 3 years as Iran war fuels energy costs – The Times of India
US inflation rose in April to 3.8 per cent as surging fuel costs amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict drove up consumer prices, hitting a three-year high complicating the Federal Reserve’s path on interest rates.Data released by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.6 per cent in April after a 0.9 per cent jump in March, the biggest monthly rise since June 2022. On an annual basis, inflation accelerated to 3.8 per cent, marking the highest year-on-year increase, since May 2023.Petrol prices in the US are now more than 28 per cent higher than a year ago, according to official data. AAA estimates show average gasoline prices have crossed $4.50 per gallon, roughly 44 per cent above year-ago levels, squeezing household budgets and raising concerns about broader economic fallout.The spike in energy prices follows the escalation of hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran earlier this year. Markets were rattled after Tehran blocked access through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global energy route that handles nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.Core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, remained relatively contained. Core CPI rose 0.4 per cent month-on-month and 2.8 per cent annually, suggesting that higher fuel costs have not yet fully spread across the wider economy.Food prices also edged higher in April. Grocery costs rose 0.7 per cent from March, led by increases in meat prices after a slight decline in the previous month.The latest inflation reading adds to uncertainty for the Federal Reserve, which had earlier been expected to begin cutting interest rates in 2026. Policymakers are now signalling caution amid fears that prolonged geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices could trigger another wave of inflation.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the Fed for not lowering borrowing costs faster to support economic growth. Attention is now turning to Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to succeed outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose Senate confirmation is expected this week.Higher fuel costs are also beginning to weigh on corporate America. Appliance maker Whirlpool Corporation said last week that quarterly revenue fell nearly 10 per cent, warning that the war-driven economic slowdown had severely dented consumer confidence.
Business
EBay rejects £41.4 billion GameStop takeover offer
EBay has turned down a 56 billion US dollar (£41.4 billion) takeover move from GameStop, labelling the proposal as “neither credible or attractive”.
GameStop boss Ryan Cohen launched an unsolicited offer of 125 dollars (£92.40) per share – half in cash and half in GameStop stock – to eBay shareholders last week.
However, the online marketplace’s board confirmed on Tuesday that it had now rejected the move.
In a letter, eBay chairman Paul Pressler said it reviewed the offer but believes that eBay is a “strong, resilient business”.
He added: “We have sharpened our strategic focus, strengthened execution, enhanced our marketplace and seller experience, and consistently returned capital to shareholders.
“With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”
GameStop, which runs around 1,600 shops around the US, said it started accumulating eBay shares earlier this year and currently has a 5% stake.
Mr Cohen had previously indicated he would take his proposal directly to eBay shareholders if the company’s board rejected the deal.
Business
India’s retail inflation jumps to over one-year high at 3.48 per cent in April – The Times of India
India’s retail inflation rose to a more than one-year high of 3.48 per cent in April from 3.40 per cent in March, driven mainly by higher food prices, according to data released by ministry of statistics & programme implementation on Monday. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), also accelerated to 4.20 per cent in April from 3.87 per cent last month, indicating broader price pressures across household essentials. Meanwhile, inflation in rural areas stood at 3.74 per cent, higher than the 3.16 per cent recorded in urban India.Among key items, silver jewellery recorded the sharpest inflation at 144.34 per cent in April, though slightly lower than 148.42 per cent in March. Gold, diamond and platinum jewellery inflation also remained elevated at 40.72 per cent. Among key food items, tomato prices surged 35.28 per cent year-on-year in April, while potato and onion prices remained in deflation at minus 23.69 per cent and minus 17.67 per cent, respectively. The personal care and miscellaneous goods category recorded the sharpest inflation at 17.66 per cent, while transport inflation remained largely flat at minus 0.01 per cent. India’s retail inflation has now risen for the second consecutive month, inching closer to the Reserve Bank of India’s 4 per cent medium-term target. The RBI last month projected CPI inflation for 2026-27 at 4.6 per cent and warned that elevated global energy prices due to the Middle East conflict, along with possible El Niño conditions affecting the monsoon, could pose upside risks to inflation.
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