Fosun International Ltd Trims Holdings in Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. $NATR

Fosun International Ltd cut its position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) by 97.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 64,167 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,854,607 shares during the quarter. Nature’s Sunshine Products makes up 0.3% of Fosun International Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Fosun International Ltd owned about 0.36% of Nature’s Sunshine Products worth $949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 252.2% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 15,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 11,048 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 397.8% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 82,967 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 66,300 shares during the period. Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the second quarter worth $275,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 3.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 39,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $578,000 after purchasing an additional 1,271 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 37.2% in the second quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 589,636 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,721,000 after purchasing an additional 160,002 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Trading Up 3.4%

NATR stock opened at $21.88 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $17.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.08. Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. has a 12-month low of $11.01 and a 12-month high of $22.31. The company has a market cap of $382.90 million, a PE ratio of 27.01 and a beta of 0.97.

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $88.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $119.39 million. Nature’s Sunshine Products had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 3.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NATR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson increased their target price on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a report on Monday, December 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nature’s Sunshine Products presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Nathan G. Brower sold 3,800 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.81, for a total value of $79,078.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $972,555.35. The trade was a 7.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Jonathan David Lanoy sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.45, for a total transaction of $102,250.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 46,233 shares in the company, valued at $945,464.85. This trade represents a 9.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 17,684 shares of company stock worth $363,095 in the last three months. 5.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Nature’s Sunshine Products

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc, a natural health and wellness company, manufactures and sells nutritional and personal care products in Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and internationally. It offers general health products related to blood sugar support, bone health, cellular health, cognitive function, joint health, mood, sexual health, sleep, sports and energy, and vision.