Curtiss James Bruce III Sells 3,129 Shares of Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) Stock

The Honest Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:HNST) insider Curtiss James Bruce III sold 3,129 shares of Honest stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.99, for a total transaction of $15,613.71. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 582,986 shares in the company, valued at $2,909,100.14. This represents a 0.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Honest Price Performance

NASDAQ HNST opened at $5.51 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $4.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.41. The firm has a market cap of $606.54 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -50.09 and a beta of 2.12. The Honest Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $2.07 and a 1 year high of $5.84.

Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.03. Honest had a negative net margin of 3.56% and a positive return on equity of 4.31%. The company had revenue of $80.19 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.83 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Honest Company, Inc. will post 0.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Honest from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen raised Honest from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Honest from $3.40 to $5.70 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Honest from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, B. Riley Financial lifted their target price on Honest from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.84.

Honest News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Honest this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Honest’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $0.04 per share versus the $0.01 consensus estimate and revenue of $80.19 million versus $77.83 million expected. Analysts currently forecast approximately $0.05 in full-year EPS, supporting the company’s turnaround narrative.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional interest has strengthened. BlackRock established an approximately $25.7 million position, while Balyasny Asset Management, Goldman Sachs and UBS increased their holdings. Institutional investors and hedge funds now own roughly 45.5% of the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment has improved, including Morgan Stanley’s price-target increase to $5.70, Northland Securities’ $5.50 target and rating upgrades from Freedom Capital and Wall Street Zen. These revisions reinforce the view that Honest’s recent momentum could continue, although the overall consensus remains “Hold.” Honest turnaround analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was listed at zero shares, with a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. Because the data shows no measurable short position and includes an invalid percentage change, it provides little reliable information about current trading pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple executives sold shares acquired near $4.99–$5.01, including CEO Carla Vernon’s 117,893 shares and sales by several senior executives and the general counsel. The transactions totaled roughly 150,854 shares and $753,000. The sales were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, and the insiders retained sizable stakes, reducing—but not eliminating—the negative signal for investors.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Honest

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in shares of Honest in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $86,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Honest during the second quarter valued at $715,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Honest in the second quarter worth $140,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Honest in the second quarter worth $36,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in shares of Honest in the second quarter valued at $94,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.54% of the company’s stock.

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.