Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Coverage Initiated at Maxim Group

Stock analysts at Maxim Group assumed coverage on shares of Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) in a research note issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. Maxim Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 40.44% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Argus set a $15.00 target price on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 price objective (up from $11.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho increased their target price on Herbalife from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Herbalife currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $15.40.

Herbalife Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HLF opened at $14.24 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $11.82 and a 200-day moving average of $10.11. Herbalife has a one year low of $5.04 and a one year high of $15.17.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Lynda Cloud acquired 17,000 shares of Herbalife stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $8.97 per share, with a total value of $152,490.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 38,857 shares in the company, valued at approximately $348,547.29. This trade represents a 77.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders acquired 18,200 shares of company stock worth $167,938 in the last ninety days. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Herbalife

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Herbalife in the second quarter valued at approximately $531,000. Fund 1 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Herbalife in the second quarter worth $8,491,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Herbalife by 1.1% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,810,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,231,000 after buying an additional 31,077 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its holdings in Herbalife by 63.9% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 706,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,087,000 after buying an additional 275,322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Range Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Herbalife by 475.1% during the second quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 185,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,596,000 after buying an additional 152,946 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.