NS
NATURES SUNSHINE PRODUCTS INC (NATR)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record quarter: revenue $128.3M (+12% YoY, +10.5% cc) and adjusted EBITDA $15.2M (+42% YoY); GAAP diluted EPS $0.30 vs $0.23 last year .
- Broad-based strength: APAC +17% (Japan +32% cc; China +36% cc; Korea +12% cc), Europe +13% (Central +10% cc; Eastern +14% cc), North America +7% with digital sales up 52% YoY; gross margin rose 200 bps to 73.3% (highest in 15 quarters) .
- Guidance raised: FY25 revenue to $476–$480M (prior $460–$475M) and adjusted EBITDA to $47–$49M (prior $41–$45M); implied Q4 revenue $119.7–$123.7M and EBITDA $9.6–$11.6M; Q4 SG&A guided to $46–$47M .
- Estimate beats: Revenue beat by ~$8.0M ($128.3M vs $120.3M*); Primary EPS beat materially ($0.36 adjusted vs $0.16*), driven by digital momentum and margin expansion; adjusted EBITDA outpaced consensus ($15.2M vs $10.5M*) .
- Near-term catalysts: new CEO appointment (10/29), accelerating digital, Power Line relaunch, and raised FY guide; watch Q4 APAC (flat to down slightly YoY due to tough comp and ~$2M timing shift) and tariffs’ modest margin impact (gross margin to settle in upper 72% range) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Digital acceleration: North America digital sales up 52% YoY, with “meaningful improvements in CAC” and strong ROAS; “new digital customers… more than doubled” YoY .
- APAC revival and subscription: Japan auto ship ≈50% of sales; China launched auto ship earlier this year and already at 12% of sales, supporting re-acceleration .
- Margin execution: Gross margin +200 bps to 73.3%, “highest in 15 quarters,” driven by cost initiatives (logistics renegotiations, manufacturing efficiency, sourcing, pricing) .
Management quotes:
- “We’re pleased to report our best quarter ever…” (CFO) .
- “TikTok has become a really great social commerce… tremendous success over the last quarter.” (CEO) .
- “Auto ship is the gift that keeps on giving… creates much more retention…” (CEO) .
What Went Wrong
- APAC Q4 headwind: Field activation pulled ~$2M of sales from Q4 into Q3; APAC Q4 likely flat to down slightly vs very tough comp (+21% cc last Q4) .
- SG&A stepped up: Q3 SG&A $45.7M (+$4.7M YoY) on incremental digital ad spend and non-recurring items; Q4 SG&A guided higher at $46–$47M (includes $1–$2M non-recurring) .
- FX/other income normalization: Other income $0.7M vs $2.6M last year (lower FX gains), partially offsetting operating improvements .
Financial Results
Quarterly performance (oldest → newest)
Year-over-year (Q3 2025 vs Q3 2024)
Consensus vs Actuals (S&P Global)
Values with * retrieved from S&P Global.
Segment breakdown (Q3 2025)
KPIs across quarters (oldest → newest)
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We’re pleased to report our best quarter ever… strategic investments… yielding meaningful improvements across North America, Asia, and Europe.” (CFO) .
- “Gross margin increased 200 basis points to 73.3%… highest in 15 quarters.” (CFO) .
- “TikTok has become a really great social commerce… tremendous success over the last quarter.” (CEO) .
- “Auto ship is the gift that keeps on giving… if we can get people into that early, it just creates much more retention.” (CEO) .
- New CEO perspective: “We have hundreds of thousands of frontline salespeople… a unique opportunity to strengthen our brand… and accelerate growth globally.” (CEO) .
Q&A Highlights
- Digital ROI and channel mix: Amazon, DTC, and social commerce all performing; lower CAC enabling incremental ad spend when ROAS is strong .
- APAC cadence: ~$2M of revenue accelerated from Q4 to Q3 due to field activation; expect APAC Q4 flat to slightly down versus tough comp .
- SG&A outlook: Near-term elevated to support high-ROI digital ads; Q4 SG&A guided to $46–$47M including $1–$2M non-recurring .
- Power Line rollout: Phased approach starting in U.S., then other markets; relaunch adds “Power Balance” to the suite .
- China macro: Stabilized backdrop; execution and new auto ship program are primary drivers of improvement .
Estimates Context
- Revenue beat: $128.3M actual vs $120.3M consensus*; strength in APAC and North America digital drove upside .
- EPS beat: Primary (normalized) EPS $0.36 actual vs $0.16 consensus*; GAAP diluted EPS $0.30 .
- EBITDA beat: Adjusted EBITDA $15.2M vs consensus $10.5M* .
- FY25 consensus revenue ~$477.9M* aligns with raised guide $476–$480M; consensus FY25 EBITDA ~$48.2M* aligns with guide $47–$49M .
Values with * retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Quarter demonstrated clear operating leverage: gross margin structurally higher (~73%) and digital growth compounding, supporting above-consensus EPS/EBITDA prints .
- Raised FY guide reduces downside tail risk; implied Q4 parameters provide helpful near-term guardrails for models .
- Watch APAC Q4 digestion: tough comp plus timing shift (~$2M) likely temper YoY; sets cleaner setup into 2026 .
- SG&A near-term elevation is intentional given compelling CAC/ROAS; management will flex spend to ROI .
- Auto ship flywheel expanding (Japan ≈50%, China 12%); enhances retention, frequency, and revenue visibility .
- Product and channel catalysts (Power Line relaunch, TikTok/social commerce) support continued mix benefits and customer acquisition .
- Balance sheet optionality (cash $95.6M, no debt) and remaining buyback capacity ($19.3M) provide capital allocation flexibility .