Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) Share Price Crosses Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $21.94 and traded as high as $24.97. Nature’s Sunshine Products shares last traded at $24.49, with a volume of 137,883 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on NATR. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a research note on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.50.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Trading Down 0.7%

The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $21.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $428.58 million, a P/E ratio of 30.23 and a beta of 0.93.

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.18. The firm 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%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Daniel C. Norman sold 8,884 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.46, for a total transaction of $181,766.64. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 66,636 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,363,372.56. This trade represents a 11.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Bryant J. Yates sold 1,700 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.29, for a total transaction of $37,893.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 98,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,197,883.16. This represents a 1.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 19,384 shares of company stock valued at $400,988. 5.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nature’s Sunshine Products

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NATR. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 2.2% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 913,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,181,000 after purchasing an additional 20,037 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 803,104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,464,000 after buying an additional 106,688 shares during the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 14.6% during the 3rd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 675,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,488,000 after acquiring an additional 86,128 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 17.9% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 558,169 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,241,000 after acquiring an additional 84,636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AWM Investment Company Inc. purchased a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the 2nd quarter worth about $5,176,000. Institutional investors own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Company Profile

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc is a global manufacturer and direct seller of nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and personal care products. The company’s core business centers on research, development and distribution of vitamins, minerals, botanicals and essential oil-based formulations designed to support overall health and wellness. Operating under a network-marketing model, Nature’s Sunshine works through a network of independent distributors who promote and sell its product line directly to consumers.

The company’s product portfolio spans dietary supplements such as single-ingredient vitamins, proprietary herbal blends, sports nutrition formulas and weight-management solutions, along with skin and hair care items based on botanical extracts and essential oils.