Zacks Research Upgrades The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) to “Hold”

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on HAIN. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1.50 price target on shares of The Hain Celestial Group in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of The Hain Celestial Group in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of The Hain Celestial Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $2.63.

The Hain Celestial Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:HAIN opened at $1.18 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.87 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.20 and a beta of 0.61. The Hain Celestial Group has a twelve month low of $1.00 and a twelve month high of $5.07. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $1.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported ($0.08) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.04). The Hain Celestial Group had a negative net margin of 34.69% and a positive return on equity of 0.77%. The company had revenue of $367.88 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $361.09 million. Equities research analysts expect that The Hain Celestial Group will post 0.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Carlyn R. Taylor sold 53,957 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.17, for a total value of $63,129.69. Following the transaction, the director owned 264,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $309,117.51. This represents a 16.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hain Celestial Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HAIN. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 151.1% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,066,048 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,424,000 after purchasing an additional 641,567 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in The Hain Celestial Group by 295.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 4,731,690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,637,000 after purchasing an additional 3,535,073 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in The Hain Celestial Group in the 1st quarter valued at $162,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in The Hain Celestial Group in the 1st quarter valued at $444,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 38.2% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,613 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 9,021 shares during the period. 97.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hain Celestial Group Company Profile

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc (NASDAQ: HAIN) is a leading global producer and marketer of natural and organic branded products. The company operates through two principal segments—Grocery and Personal Care—offering a diversified portfolio that spans shelf-stable foods, snacks, beverages, condiments and natural personal care items. Its product lineup addresses growing consumer demand for clean-label, plant-based and ethically sourced offerings in everyday categories.

Within its Grocery segment, Hain Celestial markets well-known brands such as Celestial Seasonings teas, Earth’s Best organic baby foods, Rudi’s organic bakery items, Terra vegetable chips and Sensible Portions snacks.