What happened
Shares of Hain Celestial (HAIN 0.82%) have gotten crushed today, closing down by 8% after the company reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings. The results were mixed compared to consensus estimates and Hain is bracing itself for growth to decelerate.
So what
Revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter came in at $511.7 million, which was shy of the $519.4 million in sales that analysts were modeling for. That resulted in adjusted net income of $32.3 million, or $0.32 per share. Wall Street was looking for just $0.27 per share in adjusted profits.
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"Our results were strong because of our team's execution of our transformational strategic plan, which resulted in strong margin improvement and operating cash flow generation," CEO Mark Schiller said in a statement. "In this dynamic operating environment, we believe we will maintain our positive momentum and remain committed to sustainable long-term growth as we deliver on our four key pillars for growth - portfolio simplification, capability building, cost control and sales acceleration."
Now what
The tea and organic food specialist is now kicking off its fiscal 2021 but is declining to provide specific guidance due to ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hain only offered a vague expectation that it can expand margins and post double-digit growth in adjusted EBITDA and operating free cash flow.
With the coronavirus outbreak expected to keep relatively more people at home over the next two quarters, sales growth should be stronger in the first half of fiscal 2021 before slowing in the second half of the year, Hain warned. For Q1, revenue growth is forecast in the mid-single digits after adjusting for divestitures and discontinued brands.
