Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>The WTR Consumer Products Index is down 17.5% YTD through June 23, 2025, on a 2.8x decline in its 12-month prospective absolute P/E ratio to 15.3x from 18.1x at the end of 2024.</li><li>Prospective earnings for the index are down 2.3% so far this year, but we note that it has outperformed the broader S&amp;P 600 Small Cap Index, which is down 6.3%.</li><li>Meanwhile, the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 Index is down 13.1% YTD, better than the WTR Consumer Products Index, despite relative earnings underperformance versus our index, as its prospective absolute P/E ratio compressed a lesser 1.2x to 15.3x from 16.5x at the end of 2024. </li></ul>

The WTR Consumer Products Index is down 17.5% YTD through June 23, 2025, on a 2.8x decline in its 12-month prospective absolute P/E ratio to 15.3x from 18.1x at the end of 2024.Prospective earnings for the index are down 2.3% so far this year, but we note that it has outperformed the broader S&amp;P 600 Small Cap Index, which is down 6.3%.Meanwhile, the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 Index is down 13.1% YTD, better than the WTR Consumer Products Index, despite relative earnings underperformance versus our index, as its prospective absolute P/E ratio compressed a lesser 1.2x to 15.3x from 16.5x at the end of 2024. 

WTR Consumer Products Index Lags S&P 600 YTD Despite Relative Earnings Outperformance

<ul><li>While our potential universe includes a broad range of branded consumer companies across the market capitalization, one corner of that universe that we have done a lot of work on over the years involves those companies utilizing a direct selling business model, which deploys a sales force of independent contractors to get their products in the hands of consumers.</li><li>The top trend we are monitoring for 2025 is the impact that the burgeoning market for GLP-1 drugs has on the weight loss stocks.</li><li>Two pure-play weight- loss names we monitor, MED and WW, have already been severely affected by the disruption caused by the GLP-1 drugs and have been on the defensive in recent years.</li></ul>

While our potential universe includes a broad range of branded consumer companies across the market capitalization, one corner of that universe that we have done a lot of work on over the years involves those companies utilizing a direct selling business model, which deploys a sales force of independent contractors to get their products in the hands of consumers.The top trend we are monitoring for 2025 is the impact that the burgeoning market for GLP-1 drugs has on the weight loss stocks.Two pure-play weight- loss names we monitor, MED and WW, have already been severely affected by the disruption caused by the GLP-1 drugs and have been on the defensive in recent years.

2025 Outlook: Focus Is on Top Line - November 13, 2024

<ul><li>Direct selling as a business model has a large global presence.</li><li>According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), approximately 77% of global direct sales were conducted outside the US in 2022.</li><li>Therefore, foreign currency exchange rates can have a significant impact on reported earnings and cash flows for the dollar-based direct selling platforms, such as NUS, HLF, USNA, and LFVN.</li></ul>

Direct selling as a business model has a large global presence.According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), approximately 77% of global direct sales were conducted outside the US in 2022.Therefore, foreign currency exchange rates can have a significant impact on reported earnings and cash flows for the dollar-based direct selling platforms, such as NUS, HLF, USNA, and LFVN.

Direct Sellers - Currency Outlook Remains Mixed

<ul>
<li>Valuations for direct selling stocks remain at or near historical lows following a very difficult year for the group in 2023.</li>
<li>The 12-month prospective relative P/E ratio for our proprietary Direct Selling Index closed 2023 at a 43% discount to the market, having entered the year at a 35% discount to the market.</li>
<li>This relative multiple contraction was despite a slight improvement in the prospective absolute P/E ratio to 11.2x at the end of 2023, up from 10.9x at the beginning of the year, since the multiple expansion for the S&amp;P 500 was much greater, having expanded nearly 3 full multiple points on the year to close out at approximately 19.7x forward earnings.</li>
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Valuations for direct selling stocks remain at or near historical lows following a very difficult year for the group in 2023.
The 12-month prospective relative P/E ratio for our proprietary Direct Selling Index closed 2023 at a 43% discount to the market, having entered the year at a 35% discount to the market.
This relative multiple contraction was despite a slight improvement in the prospective absolute P/E ratio to 11.2x at the end of 2023, up from 10.9x at the beginning of the year, since the multiple expansion for the S&amp;P 500 was much greater, having expanded nearly 3 full multiple points on the year to close out at approximately 19.7x forward earnings.


Direct Sellers Valuation Update - Relative Valuations Remain at Generational Lows

<ul><li>This year marks the fifth year in the most current downcycle for the stocks we monitor in the direct selling channel, with the brief exception of the pandemic-related benefits they reaped in 2H20 and 1H21, as a result of their product focus on health and wellness as well as their direct-to-consumer business models during the widespread lockdowns.</li><li>Even those benefits have been mostly given back in 2022 and 2023 as consumers moved from spending on goods for the home and body to services and experiences as mobility returned to the global marketplace</li><li>Below are the five key trends we are looking for to drive this group in 2024.</li></ul>

This year marks the fifth year in the most current downcycle for the stocks we monitor in the direct selling channel, with the brief exception of the pandemic-related benefits they reaped in 2H20 and 1H21, as a result of their product focus on health and wellness as well as their direct-to-consumer business models during the widespread lockdowns.Even those benefits have been mostly given back in 2022 and 2023 as consumers moved from spending on goods for the home and body to services and experiences as mobility returned to the global marketplaceBelow are the five key trends we are looking for to drive this group in 2024.

2024 Trends for Direct Sellers - Looking for an Inflection Point

United States

Herbalife Ltd. is a global nutrition company that sells weight management, healthy meals and snacks, sports and fitness, energy and targeted nutritional products as well as personal care products. The Company distributes and sells its products through a network of independent distributors, using the direct selling channel.

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Herbalife Ltd (HLF US)

WTR Consumer Products Index Lags S&P 600 YTD Despite Relative Earnings Outperformance

The WTR Consumer Products Index is down 17.5% YTD through June 23, 2025, on a 2.8x decline in its 12-month prospective absolute P/E ratio to 15.3x...

Water Tower Research

2025 Outlook: Focus Is on Top Line - November 13, 2024

The top trend we are monitoring for 2025 is the impact that the burgeoning market for GLP-1 drugs has on the weight loss stocks.

Water Tower Research

Direct Sellers - Currency Outlook Remains Mixed

According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), approximately 77% of global direct sales were conducted outside the US in...

Water Tower Research

Direct Sellers Valuation Update - Relative Valuations Remain at Generational Lows

The 12-month prospective relative P/E ratio for our proprietary Direct Selling Index closed 2023 at a 43% discount to the market, having entered...

Water Tower Research

2024 Trends for Direct Sellers - Looking for an Inflection Point

This year marks the fifth year in the most current downcycle for the stocks we monitor in the direct selling channel with the brief exception of...

Water Tower Research

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