Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $21.00 target price (up from $17.00) on shares of Herbalife in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Herbalife from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Maxim Group assumed coverage on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $20.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Herbalife from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.75.

Herbalife Price Performance

Herbalife stock traded up $0.19 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $16.67. 92,939 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,550,244. Herbalife has a 12-month low of $6.45 and a 12-month high of $20.40. The company has a market capitalization of $1.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.58, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.95. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $16.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $13.75.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.24 billion. Herbalife had a net margin of 4.53% and a negative return on equity of 35.02%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.36 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Herbalife will post 2.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Herbalife by 122.2% in the third quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 1,000,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,440,000 after acquiring an additional 550,000 shares during the last quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Herbalife during the third quarter worth approximately $3,550,000. Johnson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Herbalife by 1,156.1% during the fourth quarter. Johnson Financial Group LLC now owns 414,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,343,000 after purchasing an additional 381,500 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 60.5% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 763,857 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,447,000 after purchasing an additional 287,880 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 74.3% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 658,654 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,559,000 after purchasing an additional 280,870 shares during 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.