Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $15.34 and last traded at $15.22, with a volume of 239059 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $14.98.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HLF has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 target price (up previously from $11.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Maxim Group began coverage on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $20.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Mizuho set a $13.00 price target on Herbalife and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $15.80.

Herbalife Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.82. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $12.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.35.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 6.47% and a negative return on equity of 29.84%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.57 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Herbalife Ltd will post 1.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Herbalife

In other Herbalife news, Director Lynda Cloud bought 17,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $8.97 per share, with a total value of $152,490.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 38,857 shares in the company, valued at $348,547.29. This trade represents a 77.78% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 18,200 shares of company stock worth $167,938. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Herbalife during the second quarter valued at $531,000. Fund 1 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Herbalife during the 2nd quarter worth about $8,491,000. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT grew its holdings in Herbalife by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT now owns 2,449,155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,671,000 after purchasing an additional 220,896 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Herbalife by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,810,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,231,000 after purchasing an additional 31,077 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its position in Herbalife by 63.9% in the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 706,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,087,000 after purchasing an additional 275,322 shares during the period.

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.