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Edgewell Personal Care Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 13 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 14 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose 3.8%: Net sales were $537.2 million, up $19.6 million. Organic sales rose $12.9 million, or 2.5%, and currency added $6.7 million, or 1.3%. Source
  • Quarter operating loss on impairment: Operating loss of $36.3 million included a non-cash goodwill impairment of $51.1 million on the Feminine Care reporting unit, tied to the planned sale. Source
  • Quarter EPS shows GAAP loss: GAAP diluted EPS was a loss of $0.66, against $0.17 a year earlier. Adjusted EPS was $0.68, against $0.72, with a $0.19 currency impact. Source
  • Sun and Skin Care profit down 61%: Sun and Skin Care net sales rose 11.5% on volume growth, but organic segment profit fell 61.4% on lower gross margin and higher marketing and SG&A. Source
  • Gross margin fell on mix and tariffs: Adjusted gross margin fell 330 basis points to 39.3%. Mix and other, tariffs, inflation and promotions outweighed productivity and absorption gains. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell to $118.4M: Operating cash flow was $118.4 million for the year, against $231.0 million, mainly due to working capital changes and lower earnings. Source

“we exited the year with encouraging momentum - marked by improving sales and market share trends and a revitalized brand portfolio”

Rod Little, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Reported net sales growth Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 0.5% to 3.5%New
Organic net sales growth Sourcefiscal 2026a 1% decrease to a 2% increaseNew
GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$1.10 to $1.50New
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$2.15 to $2.55New
Currency effect on adjusted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$0.28 per share favorableNew
Adjusted gross margin Sourcefiscal 2026increase approximately 60 basis pointsNew
Adjusted operating margin Sourcefiscal 2026decrease approximately 50 basis pointsNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2026$290 to $310 millionNew
Other expense, net Sourcefiscal 2026approximately flat, including $2 million interest incomeNew
Adjusted effective tax rate Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 21% to 22%New
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 3.0% to 3.5% of net salesNew
Free cash flow Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $115 to $145 millionNew
Restructuring and related charges Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $49 million pre-taxNew
Feminine Care divestiture costs (per share) Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 0.14 per shareNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 guidance given for the first time; it does not reflect the planned Feminine Care divestiture. Source
  • New: Definitive agreement to sell the Feminine Care business to Essity for $340 million. Source
  • New: New share repurchase authorization of up to $100 million, replacing the prior authorization. Source
  • New: Fiscal 2026 restructuring and repositioning actions include further consolidation of Wet Shave operations. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose 3.8%: Net sales were $537.2 million, up $19.6 million. Organic sales rose $12.9 million, or 2.5%, and currency added $6.7 million, or 1.3%. Source
  • Full-year sales declined 1.3%: Full-year net sales were $2,223.5 million, down 1.3% on a reported and organic basis. Source
  • Quarter operating loss on impairment: Operating loss of $36.3 million included a non-cash goodwill impairment of $51.1 million on the Feminine Care reporting unit, tied to the planned sale. Source
  • Quarter EPS shows GAAP loss: GAAP diluted EPS was a loss of $0.66, against $0.17 a year earlier. Adjusted EPS was $0.68, against $0.72, with a $0.19 currency impact. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS of $2.52: Full-year GAAP diluted EPS was $0.53 and adjusted EPS was $2.52, against $3.05, with a $0.48 currency headwind. Source

Segments and regions

  • Wet Shave profit down 14.8%: Wet Shave net sales rose 1.2% to $321.9 million, while segment profit fell 14.8% to $53.0 million. Source
  • Sun and Skin Care profit down 61%: Sun and Skin Care net sales rose 11.5% on volume growth, but organic segment profit fell 61.4% on lower gross margin and higher marketing and SG&A. Source
  • Feminine Care sales edged up: Feminine Care net sales rose $0.6 million, or 0.9%, to $67.3 million, while segment profit fell 22.6%. Source

“we believe Edgewell now has the team, structure, and capabilities in place to return to organic sales growth in 2026, with accelerated growth in the second half of 2026 and into 2027.”

Rod Little, President and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin fell on mix and tariffs: Adjusted gross margin fell 330 basis points to 39.3%. Mix and other, tariffs, inflation and promotions outweighed productivity and absorption gains. Source
  • Productivity gains partly offset: Productivity savings of about 80 basis points and favorable absorption of 60 basis points offset part of the fourth-quarter margin pressure. Source
  • A&P spending rose to 9.4%: A&P was $50.5 million, or 9.4% of net sales, up from $44.1 million, or 8.5%, in the prior year quarter. Source
  • Adjusted SG&A ratio improved: Adjusted SG&A was 19.7% of net sales, against 20.5%, helped by lower incentive compensation and higher net sales, partly offset by people and consulting costs. Source
  • Full-year restructuring costs of $53.1M: Pre-tax restructuring and related costs for the year were $53.1 million, mostly severance, project implementation and exit costs tied to cost efficiency programs. Source

Demand and regional sales

  • International sales grew 6.9%: International organic sales rose 6.9% in the quarter, driven largely by volume and price gains across Wet Shave, Feminine Care and Sun and Skin Care. Source
  • North America down 0.6% in quarter: North America organic sales fell 0.6% in the quarter, as volume gains were more than offset by higher promotional levels in Sun and Skin Care. Source
  • North America down 4.4% for year: North America declined 4.4% for the year, mainly from lower volumes in Wet Shave, Feminine Care and Sun Care, partly offset by Skin Care and Grooming growth. Source
  • International grew 3.5% for year: International organic growth for the full year was 3.5%, driven by higher volumes and increased pricing. Source

“Our decision to divest the Feminine Care business marks a pivotal step in transforming Edgewell into a more focused, agile and consumer-driven personal care company.”

Rod Little, President and Chief Executive Officer

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow fell to $118.4M: Operating cash flow was $118.4 million for the year, against $231.0 million, mainly due to working capital changes and lower earnings. Source
  • Cash and revolver availability at year end: Cash on hand was $225.7 million at September 30, 2025, with $279.5 million more available under the U.S. revolving credit facility. Source
  • Capital expenditures rose: Capital expenditures were $77.0 million for the year, compared with $56.5 million in the prior year. Source
  • Full-year returns to shareholders: The company returned $119.5 million in fiscal 2025: $90.2 million of share repurchases and $29.3 million of dividends. Source
  • Fourth-quarter dividend payments: The company paid $6.9 million of dividends to stockholders during the fourth quarter. Source

Strategy, portfolio and people

  • Mexico plants being consolidated: Of the year's restructuring, $34.0 million relates to consolidating Obregon and Mexico City operations into one facility in Aguascalientes. Source
  • Consumer-led launches across regions: Management cited progress on productivity and on the innovation agenda, with consumer-led launches across key regions during the year. Source
  • Billie acquisition integration costs: The company recorded $0.5 million of acquisition and integration costs related to the Billie acquisition during the year. Source
  • About 6,700 employees worldwide: The company operates in more than 50 markets with approximately 6,700 employees worldwide. Source
  • Full-year SG&A people costs higher: Adjusted SG&A was 18.6% of net sales for the year, against 18.5%, as lower incentive pay and legal costs were offset by higher people and corporate project expenses. Source

Coming up, as management said on 13 November 2025

  • First-quarter restructuring charges: Of the full-year restructuring charges, approximately $19 million is expected in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Source
  • Dividend payment January 8, 2026: The $0.15 quarterly dividend declared November 13, 2025 is payable January 8, 2026 to holders of record on December 4, 2025. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Tariffs add gross cost in fiscal 2026, partly offset by planned cost mitigation. Source
  • External: Currency movements reduced fourth-quarter operating income by $5.3 million, or 110 basis points of net sales. Source
  • Demand: In Wet Shave, North American volume declines and higher promotions offset international growth in the quarter. Source
  • Financial: Net debt leverage stood at 3.9x at year end, with $279.5 million available under the revolving credit facility. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: In the prior quarter, management said near-term profit pressure from these investments was expected to support a stronger 2026.
  • Not stated: In the prior quarter, management said it was confident that these changes would create significant value for shareholders.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.