Edgewell Personal Care Co. (NYSE:EPC) (2.0%) (EPC – $84.41 – NYSE) based in St. Louis, Missouri, is the personal care division of Energizer Holdings, which split its personal care and household products divisions on July 1, 2015. Edgewell generates approximately $2.3 billion of revenue through its principal businesses: wet shaving, including Schick-branded razors and blades, Edge and Skintimate shaving preparation and private label shaving products; sun care, including the Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic brands; feminine care, including Playtex and o.b. tampons and Carefree and Stayfree liners and pads; and infant care, utilizing the Playtex and Diaper Genie brands. As a pure-play personal care company, Edgewell competes in high-margin, attractive categories with leading brands. We expect management to focus on improving margins through product mix, restructuring savings and operating leverage, which should afford it flexibility to reinvest in growth opportunities. The company has approximately $1.2 billion of net debt providing management with sufficient flexibility to invest in internal growth, make acquisitions and/or repurchase shares. EPC is a likely acquisition target as a multinational competitor with a strong international infrastructure would benefit from scale, cost synergies, and the opportunity to accelerate international expansion.
From Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio)'s Value 25 Fund second quarter commentary.
