Quarterly results were better than projected at Herbalife Ltd. (HLF—NYSE), the nutrition company reported after the close on Thursday.
The shake and supplement seller, which has spent three years fending off attacks on its business model by hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, posted $1.1 billion in revenue for fourth quarter 2015 and adjusted earnings of $1.19 a share, beating consensus estimates of $1.06 billion and 94 cents a share. Reported earnings fell to $84.5 million, or 98 cents a share, from $103.3 million, or $1.21 a share, a year ago.
Herbalife China continued to drive growth, as quarterly revenue increased 24 percent to $220.4 million. Sales in North America remained flat, while the remainder of Asia Pacific and EMEA dipped 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively. The company reported a 21 percent decline in South and Central America and a 14 percent decline in Mexico.
For the full year, revenue totaled $4.5 billion, down 9.9 percent from 2014. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations, revenue rose 4.7 percent. Earnings were $3.97 a share on income of $339 million, compared to $309 million, or $3.40 a share, in 2014.
Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson said Herbalife in 2015 completed an overhaul of its marketing plan to strengthen the business in the long term. “We successfully navigated the associated short-term challenges, believing that we were making the right changes at the right time, and despite ongoing currency and macroeconomic challenges, we finished the year returning to growth.”
Facing sustained currency headwinds, Herbalife lowered its first-quarter guidance to adjusted EPS of 97 cents to $1.07, undercutting the average estimate of $1.09 by analysts. For the full year, management expects adjusted earnings in the range of $4.05 to $4.50 a share.
