The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) and the rest of the personal care stocks fared in Q3.

While personal care products products may seem more discretionary than food, consumers tend to maintain or even boost their spending on the category during tough times. This phenomenon is known as "the lipstick effect" by economists, which states that consumers still want some semblance of affordable luxuries like beauty and wellness when the economy is sputtering. Consumer tastes are constantly changing, and personal care companies are currently responding to the public’s increased desire for ethically produced goods by featuring natural ingredients in their products.

The 12 personal care stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.2% above.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Herbalife (NYSE: HLF)

With the first products sold out of the trunk of the founder’s car, Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) today offers a portfolio of shakes, supplements, personal care products, and weight management programs to help customers reach their nutritional and fitness goals.

Herbalife reported revenues of $1.27 billion, up 2.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 46.7% since reporting and currently trades at $12.09.

Is now the time to buy Herbalife? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Nature's Sunshine (NASDAQ: NATR)

Started on a kitchen table in Utah, Nature’s Sunshine (NASDAQ: NATR) manufactures and sells nutritional and personal care products.

Nature's Sunshine reported revenues of $128.3 million, up 12% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.7%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Nature's Sunshine delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 54.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $21.16.

Is now the time to buy Nature's Sunshine? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE: EPC)

Boasting brands such as Banana Boat, Schick, and Skintimate, Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE: EPC) sells personal care products in the skin and sun care, shave, and feminine care categories.

Edgewell Personal Care reported revenues of $537.2 million, up 3.8% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Still, it was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 10.5% since the results and currently trades at $16.92.

Read our full analysis of Edgewell Personal Care’s results here.

Coty (NYSE: COTY)

With a portfolio boasting many household brands, Coty (NYSE: COTY) is a beauty products powerhouse spanning cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare.

Coty reported revenues of $1.58 billion, down 5.6% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. However, it was a slower quarter as it logged a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The stock is down 9.2% since reporting and currently trades at $3.41.

Read our full, actionable report on Coty here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Olaplex (NASDAQ: OLPX)

Rising to fame on TikTok because of its “bond building" hair products, Olaplex (NASDAQ: OLPX) offers products and treatments that repair the damage caused by traditional heat and chemical-based styling goods.

Olaplex reported revenues of $114.6 million, down 3.8% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 4.2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 10.8% since reporting and currently trades at $1.18.

Read our full, actionable report on Olaplex here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Market Update

In response to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump’s presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025.

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