Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Hits New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $17.20 and last traded at $17.2230, with a volume of 148671 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.93.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on HLF. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Mizuho set a $13.00 target price on shares of Herbalife and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Argus set a $15.00 price target on Herbalife in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $17.00 price objective (up from $11.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $15.80.

Herbalife Trading Up 0.7%

The stock has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.45 and a beta of 0.82. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $13.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.57.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.04. Herbalife had a net margin of 6.47% and a negative return on equity of 29.84%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.57 earnings per share. Herbalife’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Herbalife Ltd will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Herbalife

In related news, Director Lynda Cloud purchased 17,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $8.97 per share, for a total transaction of $152,490.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 38,857 shares in the company, valued at approximately $348,547.29. This represents a 77.78% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have purchased 18,200 shares of company stock valued at $167,938 in the last three months. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 236.8% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 133,245 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 93,686 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in Herbalife by 4.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 59,964 shares of the company’s stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 2,523 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Herbalife by 12.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,301 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 3,474 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Herbalife by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 210,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,820,000 after buying an additional 6,747 shares during the period. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Herbalife by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 65,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $561,000 after buying an additional 4,395 shares in the last quarter.

Herbalife Company Profile

Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) operates as a global multi-level marketing company specializing in weight-management, nutritional supplement, sports nutrition and personal care products. Its portfolio includes protein shakes, vitamins, energy and fitness supplements, hydration products and skin and hair care items, all formulated to support wellness, performance and healthy living. Products are manufactured in GMP-certified facilities to ensure consistent quality and safety standards.

Founded in 1980 by Mark R.