Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Herbalife from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Herbalife from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Mizuho set a $17.00 price target on Herbalife in a report on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $17.00 price target (down from $21.00) on shares of Herbalife in a report on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Herbalife from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.00.

Herbalife Price Performance

NYSE HLF opened at $11.52 on Friday. Herbalife has a 1-year low of $7.56 and a 1-year high of $20.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 0.87. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.46.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.31 billion. Herbalife had a net margin of 3.16% and a negative return on equity of 43.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.59 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Herbalife will post 2.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Herbalife

In other news, COO Troy Hicks sold 10,000 shares of Herbalife stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.32, for a total transaction of $123,200.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,706 shares in the company, valued at $119,577.92. This trade represents a 50.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 5.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in Herbalife during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,795,000. Inspire Investing LLC increased its holdings in Herbalife by 291.2% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 141,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,080,000 after purchasing an additional 105,160 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Herbalife in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,809,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Herbalife by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,596,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,225,000 after purchasing an additional 267,539 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Herbalife during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $9,491,000.

About Herbalife

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.