Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE) sells personal care and household consumer products. The personal care goods include such items as hair dryers, curling irons, hair setters, women's shavers and skin care products. The firm offers its own lines (e.g: Helen of Troy, Hot Tools and Hot Spa), as well as licensed merchandise (e.g: Vidal Sassoon, Revlon and Dr. Scholl's). On the household side, offerings include kitchen tools, household cleaning items, gardening tools and rechargeable lighting devices. Products are sold through beauty supply distributors and such mass merchandisers as Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) and Target (NYSE: TGT). Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a major competitor.

The company pleased investors last week, when it reported fiscal Q1 EPS of 42 cents and revenues of $145 million. Analysts had been looking for 30 cents and $142.8 million. The sales figure was a company first quarter record.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) Q2 earnings decline on materials costs but beat analysts estimates (see transcript).
• Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) solid Q3 results were accompanied by a share buyback program.
• Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) warned that Q2 results will include a delay-related charge of 22 cents per share.
• Cash America International Inc. (NYSE: CSH) predicted Q2 earnings above previous guidance.
• EZcorp Inc. (NASDAQ: EZPW) predicted better-than-expected Q3 results due to strong sales.
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) beat Q3 expectations and raised its Q4 guidance.
• Flow International Corp. (NASDAQ: FLOW) swung to a better-than-expected Q4 profit on strong demand.
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) reported mixed Q2 results and offered an uninspiring Q3 outlook (transcript).
• Helen of Troy Ltd. (NASDAQ: HELE) Q1 results were colored by write-downs and other charges.
• International Speedway Corp. (NASDAQ: ISCA) Q2 earnings soared while revenue slipped.
• Levis Strauss Q2 profitability plunged due to declining sales and higher administrative costs.
• Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) topped Q2 estimates but lowered its guidance (see transcript).

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Melco PBL Entertainment, Helen of Troy, LHC Group and Oriental Financial were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Jefferies initiated shares of Melco PBL Entertainment (NASDAQ: MPEL) with a Buy rating and $21 target, as they believe the possibility of A-Max, a VIP junket consolidator, moving up to 10 junkets to the Crown Casino could lead to short-term gains and notes that MPEL is the only Macau pure play in the U.S. stock market.
  
• Jefferies also started shares of Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE) with a Hold rating and $21 target, as they sees risks to near-term EPS from soft consumer demand and gross margin pressures.
  
• Credit Suisse expects LHC Group's (NASDAQ: LHCG) rural-focused strategy and joint venture partnerships to drive organic growth and started shares off with an Outperform rating and $26 target.
  
• Oriental Financial Group (NYSE: OFG) was initiated at B. Riley with a Neutral rating and $12.50 target. The firm does not expect significant multiple expansion from current levels given the slow Puerto Rican economy.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• JP Morgan initiated Eagle Rock Energy (NASDAQ: EROC), Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP), MarkWest Energy Partners (NYSE: MWE) and Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA) with Neutral ratings.
  
• Bernstein initiated Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S), AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) with Market Perform ratings and targets of $21, $47 and $44, respectively.