Over the past two years, shares of multi-level marketing giant Herbalife have been immensely volatile, largely due to the activities of activist hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who has been waging an aggressive campaign against Herbalife’s management, accusing the company of fraud.
At times, his accusations have prompted sharp sell-offs, but more recently, the focus seems to have shifted to Herbalife’s earnings. Last month, shares of Herbalife tumbled after its earnings report came in short of analysts’ expectations.
Management remains confident in its business, and in a subsequent earnings call, pointed out a number of factors investors should be aware of. Below are five of the most important quotes from Herbalife’s most recent earnings call, courtesy of S&P Capital IQ .
The market for its products is growing
Herbalife’s products are, broadly speaking, aimed at helping to facilitate weight loss. A meal replacement shake, Formula 1, is the cornerstone of its portfolio, while it also offers supplements such as metabolism-boosting tea and multivitamins.
So long as global obesity rates remain elevated, Herbalife’s management believes the market for its products is large. Citing a recent study, the company’s CEO Michael Johnson quantified the opportunity for Herbalife.
The Harvard School of Public Health estimates that the worldwide rate of obesity has nearly

Read more...