The Hain Celestial Group Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:HAIN)

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock traders acquired 1,702 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 768% compared to the average volume of 196 put options.

Institutional Trading of The Hain Celestial Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HAIN. Nantahala Capital Management LLC bought a new position in The Hain Celestial Group during the second quarter worth $4,777,828. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hain Celestial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in The Hain Celestial Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $130,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $750,000. 97.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hain Celestial Group Stock Down 50.6%

Shares of HAIN stock traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $0.28. 4,963,312 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,534,839. The company has a market cap of $25.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.09 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $0.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $0.66. The Hain Celestial Group has a 1-year low of $0.28 and a 1-year high of $1.64.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, September 14th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $263.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $261.24 million. The Hain Celestial Group had a negative net margin of 22.53% and a negative return on equity of 5.45%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Hain Celestial Group will post 0.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HAIN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of The Hain Celestial Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of The Hain Celestial Group from a “sell (e)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $1.03 to $0.81 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $0.95.

The Hain Celestial Group Company Profile

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc is a consumer products company focused on better-for-you, natural and organic foods, beverages and personal care products. Its portfolio includes pantry staples, snacks, plant-based foods, teas, infant and children’s foods, and personal care products.

The company’s brands have included Celestial Seasonings, Earth’s Best, Terra, Garden of Eatin’, Imagine, Sensible Portions, The Greek Gods, Alba Botanica, Avalon Organics and Jason. Products are sold through grocery stores, mass retailers, club stores, natural-food retailers, e-commerce channels and other outlets.

Founded in 1993 by Irwin Simon, Hain Celestial expanded through brand development and acquisitions, including its combination with Celestial Seasonings in 2000.