The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) Shares Gap Up to $6.66

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) shares gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $6.66, but opened at $7.10. The Hain Celestial Group shares last traded at $7.12, with a volume of 317,631 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on HAIN. Maxim Group reduced their price target on The Hain Celestial Group from $25.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Barclays reduced 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. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of The Hain Celestial Group in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $10.00 target price on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.70.

The Hain Celestial Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $602.76 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.05 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $7.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. The Hain Celestial Group had a positive return on equity of 2.48% and a negative net margin of 8.88%. The business had revenue of $454.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.31 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.20 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict 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 on Tuesday, February 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $9.46 per share, for a total transaction of $47,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 58,309 shares in the company, valued at approximately $551,603.14. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Hain Celestial Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 265.2% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,127 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 2,997 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 1,647.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 4,200 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 204.3% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 8,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 5,519 shares during the period. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in The Hain Celestial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $111,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in The Hain Celestial Group by 146.4% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 11,743 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 6,978 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.01% of the company’s stock.

The Hain Celestial Group Company Profile

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.