Edgewell Personal Care Co. announced that following the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s filing of a lawsuit seeking to block the proposed transaction, Edgewell terminated its merger agreement with Harry’s Inc. Harry’s has informed the company that it intends to pursue litigation. Edgewell said that such litigation has no merit.
Edgewell is now moving forward as a stand-alone company and is pursuing its strategy to create value for shareholders.
“We are disappointed by the FTC’s decision and continue to disagree with its position,” said Rod Little, Edgewell’s president and CEO. “After extensive consideration and discussion, and given the inherent uncertainty of a potential trial, the required investment of resources and time and the distraction that a continuing court battle would entail, we determined that proceeding with our standalone strategy is the best course of action for Edgewell and our shareholders.
“Edgewell is moving forward standalone with a strong foundation, a revamped management team and improving underlying performance, and we are confident in our ability to create value. We are committed to building a next generation CPG company by leveraging our core strengths, strategically adding to our capabilities and increasing engagement with consumers and retailers to enhance our ability to drive growth and value creation.”
Edgewell operates in more than 20 countries with extensive retail reach across 50 countries. The Company has a diversified revenue profile across geographies and segments. North America represents about 60% of the Company’s global revenue and its international businesses contributes 40%. By segment, the Wet Shave business represents nearly 60% of its revenue and the Sun Care and Feminine Care segments add up to more than 40% of its revenue.
Edgewell said the actions the actions it has taken to refine its portfolio position it well in its core categories: Grooming, Sun & Skin Care and Feminine Care. With the successful divestiture of the Infant Care business in the fourth quarter of 2019, the company is focused on and further investing in growth in support of its strong stable of brands, including Schick, Wilkinson Sword, Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic and Playtex, as well as its newer brands, including Bulldog and Jack Black.
