Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $15.80.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on HLF shares. Argus set a $15.00 price objective on Herbalife in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. 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. Citigroup restated 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. Finally, Maxim Group began coverage on shares of Herbalife in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $20.00 target price on the stock.

Herbalife Price Performance

Herbalife stock opened at $15.89 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $12.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a PE ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.82. Herbalife has a 12-month low of $5.04 and a 12-month high of $15.98.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.27 billion. Herbalife had a negative return on equity of 29.84% and a net margin of 6.47%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.57 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Herbalife will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lynda Cloud acquired 17,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $8.97 per share, for a total transaction of $152,490.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 38,857 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $348,547.29. The trade was a 77.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders acquired a total of 18,200 shares of company stock valued at $167,938 over the last quarter. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HLF. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 236.8% during 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. raised its holdings in Herbalife by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 59,964 shares of the company’s stock worth $517,000 after buying an additional 2,523 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Herbalife by 12.9% during the first 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 boosted its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 3.3% in the first 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 buying an additional 6,747 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of Herbalife by 4.1% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 152,987 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,320,000 after acquiring an additional 6,081 shares in the last quarter.

Herbalife Company Profile

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.