Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Trading Up 8.5% – Should You Buy?

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF)’s share price was up 8.5% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $14.05 and last traded at $14.0120. Approximately 306,584 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 66% from the average daily volume of 905,740 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.91.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on HLF. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $17.00 target price (up previously from $11.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Argus set a $15.00 price target on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Maxim Group assumed coverage on shares of Herbalife in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $20.00 target price on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Herbalife presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $15.80.

Herbalife Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $11.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.14. The company has a market cap of $1.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 0.82.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. Herbalife had a net margin of 6.47% and a negative return on equity of 29.84%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.57 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Herbalife Ltd will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lynda Cloud bought 17,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $8.97 per share, for a total transaction of $152,490.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 38,857 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $348,547.29. The trade was a 77.78% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders bought a total of 18,200 shares of company stock valued at $167,938 over the last 90 days. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HLF. Fund 1 Investments LLC bought a new position in Herbalife during the second quarter worth about $8,491,000. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Herbalife by 122.2% during the 3rd quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 1,000,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,440,000 after purchasing an additional 550,000 shares in the last quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Herbalife during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,550,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 40.0% during the second quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,013,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,736,000 after purchasing an additional 289,537 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Herbalife by 60.5% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 763,857 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,447,000 after buying an additional 287,880 shares in the last quarter.

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.