Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Cut to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Friday morning.

Separately, DA Davidson upgraded Herbalife from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $7.50 to $14.00 in a research report on Friday, March 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $12.00.

Herbalife Trading Up 2.9 %

Shares of HLF opened at $6.42 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $7.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.26. Herbalife has a 12-month low of $5.04 and a 12-month high of $12.79. The firm has a market cap of $650.51 million, a P/E ratio of 2.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.02.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.19 billion. Herbalife had a net margin of 5.09% and a negative return on equity of 20.78%. Equities research analysts forecast that Herbalife will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Herbalife

In related news, Director Juan Miguel Mendoza bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $8.25 per share, with a total value of $41,250.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 132,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,093,125. This trade represents a 3.92 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.73% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Avaii Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Herbalife by 3.8% during the first quarter. Avaii Wealth Management LLC now owns 60,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $525,000 after buying an additional 2,202 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Herbalife by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 80,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $694,000 after purchasing an additional 2,633 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Herbalife by 573.0% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 127,098 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,097,000 after purchasing an additional 108,214 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 29.3% in the 1st quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 48,776 shares of the company’s stock valued at $421,000 after purchasing an additional 11,047 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Range Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 73.6% during the 1st quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 32,195 shares of the company’s stock worth $278,000 after purchasing an additional 13,645 shares during the last quarter.

Herbalife Company Profile

Herbalife Ltd. provides health and wellness products in North America, Mexico, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China, and the Asia Pacific. It offers products in the areas of weight management; targeted nutrition; energy, sports, and fitness; outer nutrition; and literature and promotional items.