Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $17.93 and last traded at $17.37, with a volume of 658524 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.40.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on HLF shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Argus set a $15.00 target price on Herbalife in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 price objective (up previously from $11.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Mizuho set a $13.00 price target on shares of Herbalife and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $15.80.

Herbalife Stock Down 2.5%

The stock has a market cap of $1.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.42 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $14.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.03.

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

Insider Transactions at Herbalife

In other Herbalife news, Director Lynda Cloud acquired 17,000 shares of Herbalife stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $8.97 per share, with a total value of $152,490.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 38,857 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $348,547.29. This represents a 77.78% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have purchased 18,200 shares of company stock worth $167,938 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Herbalife by 236.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 133,245 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after purchasing an additional 93,686 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 4.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 59,964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $517,000 after buying an additional 2,523 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,301 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 3,474 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Herbalife by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 210,904 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,820,000 after acquiring an additional 6,747 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC lifted its position in Herbalife by 15.1% during the second quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 45,238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $390,000 after acquiring an additional 5,939 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.