Short Interest in Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) Declines By 19.9%

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 158,650 shares, a decrease of 19.9% from the December 15th total of 198,108 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 91,534 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days. Approximately 1.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Approximately 1.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 91,534 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nature’s Sunshine Products

In other Nature’s Sunshine Products news, EVP Nathan G. Brower sold 3,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $972,555.35. This trade represents a 7.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Bryant J. Yates sold 1,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.29, for a total transaction of $37,893.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 98,604 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,197,883.16. The trade was a 1.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 19,384 shares of company stock valued at $400,988. 4.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nature’s Sunshine Products

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 147.0% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,075 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,235 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Nature’s Sunshine Products during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the 4th quarter worth approximately $121,000. Finally, Williams & Novak LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at approximately $155,000. Institutional investors own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on NATR. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a report on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson increased 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.50.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Trading Up 6.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:NATR traded up $1.43 during trading on Monday, hitting $24.07. 182,857 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 77,683. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $21.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.64. Nature’s Sunshine Products has a 52 week low of $11.01 and a 52 week high of $24.13. The company has a market cap of $421.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.72 and a beta of 0.93.

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

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.