Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) SVP Kunssberg Etienne Von Sells 12,179 Shares

The Honest Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:HNST) SVP Kunssberg Etienne Von sold 12,179 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.85, for a total transaction of $34,710.15. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 308,710 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $879,823.50. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Honest Stock Down 4.1%

Shares of HNST traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $2.81. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,349,221 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,034,835. The Honest Company, Inc. has a one year low of $2.07 and a one year high of $5.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $316.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.07 and a beta of 2.27. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $2.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3.04.

Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.23). The company had revenue of $88.04 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $88.57 million. Honest had a positive return on equity of 4.57% and a negative net margin of 4.22%. On average, research analysts predict that The Honest Company, Inc. will post -0.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Honest declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Friday, February 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $25.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 9.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Honest by 1,392.2% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 7,073 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 6,599 shares during the last quarter. Amicus Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Honest in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Honest during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Honest during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Equity Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Honest during the third quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors own 45.54% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HNST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Honest from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Zacks Research cut Honest from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Honest in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $3.00 price target on shares of Honest in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Honest in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Honest has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $3.00.

About Honest

The Honest Company, Inc (NASDAQ: HNST) is an American consumer goods firm specializing in eco-friendly and responsibly formulated products for babies, personal care, beauty and home cleaning. The company emphasizes transparency in ingredient sourcing and product safety, positioning itself in the premium segment of mass-market retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

Honest was founded in 2011 by actress Jessica Alba and environmental health advocate Christopher Gavigan with a mission to offer parents household and baby care items free from harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances.