Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat: Could you please let me know your thoughts on Herbalife Ltd.? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Herbalife Ltd., $66.50, symbol HLF on New York (Shares outstanding: 116.3 million; Market cap: $7.7 billion; www.herbalife.com), sells personal care products and weight management and nutritional supplements. The company, which was founded in 1980, sells its products in 81 countries through a network of about 2.5 million distributors. Herbalife’s nutritional and dietary supplements include Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, Personalized Protein Powder, Herbal Tea Concentrate and NRG Powder. The company also sells NouriFusion skin care products. In the three months ended September 30, 2011, Herbalife’s revenue rose 30.0%, to $895.2 million from $688.4 million a year earlier. Sales were strong in the Asia Pacific region and South and Central America. Earnings climbed 36.5%, to $108.0 million, or $0.92 a share, from $78.9 million, or $0.67 a share. Herbalife holds cash of $261.5 million, or $2.10 a share. Its long-term debt of $220.3 million is just 2.9% of its market cap. In May 2011, the company split its shares on a 2-for-1 basis and…