The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) Shares Down 5.2%

Shares of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) traded down 5.2% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $5.98 and last traded at $5.98. 830,923 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 29% from the average session volume of 1,174,132 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.31.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Maxim Group lowered their target price on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $25.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $11.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on shares of The Hain Celestial Group in a report on Friday, March 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $10.00 price objective for the company. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hain Celestial Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.00.

The Hain Celestial Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $8.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.98.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $454.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $461.31 million. The Hain Celestial Group had a negative net margin of 8.88% and a positive return on equity of 2.48%. The company’s revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.20 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. will post 0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Wendy P. Davidson bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $9.46 per share, with a total value of $47,300.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 58,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $551,603.14. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Hain Celestial Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 9,772 shares of the company’s stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 23.9% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 11,368 shares of the company’s stock valued at $391,000 after purchasing an additional 2,193 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 35,662 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,226,000 after purchasing an additional 1,142 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $303,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 31.1% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 58,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,030,000 after purchasing an additional 13,987 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.01% of the company’s stock.

About The Hain Celestial Group

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc manufactures, markets, and sells organic and natural products in United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and internationally. It operates through two segments: North America and International. The company offers infant formula; infant, toddler, and kids' food; plant-based beverages and frozen desserts, such as soy, rice, oat, and spelt; and condiments.