Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of The Hain Celestial Group Put Options (NASDAQ:HAIN)

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 1,702 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 768% compared to the average volume of 196 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on HAIN. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on The Hain Celestial Group from $1.03 to $0.81 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings raised The Hain Celestial Group from a “sell (e)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded The Hain Celestial Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 26th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hain Celestial Group presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $0.95.

The Hain Celestial Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Hain Celestial Group stock traded down $0.29 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $0.28. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,963,312 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,534,839. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $0.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $0.66. The company has a market capitalization of $25.94 million, a P/E ratio of -0.09 and a beta of 0.95. The Hain Celestial Group has a one year low of $0.28 and a one year high of $1.64.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, September 14th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $263.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $261.24 million. The Hain Celestial Group had a negative net margin of 22.53% and a negative return on equity of 5.45%. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Hain Celestial Group will post 0.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hain Celestial Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in The Hain Celestial Group by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 220,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $154,000 after acquiring an additional 12,654 shares during the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 126.2% in the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 121,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 67,500 shares in the last quarter. GatePass Capital LLC lifted its holdings in The Hain Celestial Group by 37.6% during the first quarter. GatePass Capital LLC now owns 259,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after acquiring an additional 71,000 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in The Hain Celestial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 26,624.2% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 83,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 83,600 shares during the last quarter. 97.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hain Celestial Group Company Profile

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc is a consumer products company focused on better-for-you, natural and organic foods, beverages and personal care products. Its portfolio includes pantry staples, snacks, plant-based foods, teas, infant and children’s foods, and personal care products.

The company’s brands have included Celestial Seasonings, Earth’s Best, Terra, Garden of Eatin’, Imagine, Sensible Portions, The Greek Gods, Alba Botanica, Avalon Organics and Jason. Products are sold through grocery stores, mass retailers, club stores, natural-food retailers, e-commerce channels and other outlets.

Founded in 1993 by Irwin Simon, Hain Celestial expanded through brand development and acquisitions, including its combination with Celestial Seasonings in 2000.