Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) Share Price Passes Below 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $23.81 and traded as low as $19.73. Nature’s Sunshine Products shares last traded at $19.76, with a volume of 104,963 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NATR. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $37.00 price target on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a research report on Friday, May 8th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 price target on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $35.00.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Stock Down 0.2%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $24.06 and a 200-day moving average of $23.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $347.38 million, a P/E ratio of 17.96 and a beta of 0.86.

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.10. Nature’s Sunshine Products had a return on equity of 14.67% and a net margin of 4.06%.The firm had revenue of $122.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $122.15 million.

Insider Transactions at Nature’s Sunshine Products

In related news, EVP Nathan G. Brower sold 12,015 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.84, for a total transaction of $262,407.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,438 shares in the company, valued at $948,685.92. This trade represents a 21.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan David Lanoy sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.70, for a total value of $98,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 46,405 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,203.50. This trade represents a 7.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 60,627 shares of company stock valued at $1,414,090. Company insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nature’s Sunshine Products

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the first quarter valued at $48,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 4.5% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 93,728 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,249,000 after acquiring an additional 3,994 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 1.5% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 531,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,761,000 after acquiring an additional 7,827 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 65.7% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 17,876 shares of the company’s stock valued at $429,000 after acquiring an additional 7,085 shares during the period. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 49.6% during the first quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 61,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,468,000 after acquiring an additional 20,285 shares during the period. 79.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Nature’s Sunshine Products

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.