Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL), the maker of a wide range of consumer products, has been struggling to regain its footing after the 2016 acquisition of Jarden, a $15.4 billion cash-and-stock transaction. The Jarden deal added the disparate product lines of Ball, Rawlings, Mr. Coffee, Stearns, Coleman, and many others to Newell's existing offerings, straining resources. The deal increased debt and sent profitability downward.
Since then, the company has taken an honest look at the situation and is implementing steps to improve operations and the financial picture. Most recently, the company is focused on reducing the resultant heavy debt load and streamlining product offerings to get rid of dead weight.
First-quarter 2020 earnings were released May 1, and management discussed some of the pandemic's effects on the business. The company said the results were a mix of positives and negatives due to shifts in consumer shopping, but they are watching and learning in order to respond to the new environment.
Source Fool.com