Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH) Stock Moved Down to Sell by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Celsius from “hold” to “sell,” while Zacks Research issued a “strong sell” rating. Despite the bearish calls, the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with a target price of $43.38.
• Celsius shares opened at $27.99, down 1.5%, and remain well below their 52-week high of $66.74. The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $0.36 in EPS versus $0.41 expected and revenue of $817.93 million versus $870.08 million forecast.
• Company insiders purchased 66,000 shares worth approximately $1.83 million over the last quarter, including sizable buys by CEO John Fieldly and Director Hal Kravitz. Institutional investors own about 60.95% of Celsius stock.

Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Celsius from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Celsius from $55.00 to $45.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $37.00 target price on shares of Celsius in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Celsius from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $44.00 to $26.00 in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Celsius from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $43.38.

Celsius Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:CELH opened at $27.99 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average is $29.52 and its 200 day moving average is $31.81. The stock has a market cap of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.93. Celsius has a 52-week low of $23.56 and a 52-week high of $66.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.05). Celsius had a net margin of 4.24% and a return on equity of 36.52%. The firm had revenue of $817.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.08 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.47 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Celsius will post 1.43 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Celsius

In other news, CEO John Fieldly bought 18,000 shares of Celsius stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $27.44 per share, for a total transaction of $493,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 956,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,234,368.72. This trade represents a 1.92% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Hal Kravitz purchased 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $28.00 per share, with a total value of $336,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 239,158 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,696,424. The trade was a 5.28% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have purchased a total of 66,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,830,120 over the last quarter. 2.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Celsius during the fourth quarter valued at $3,316,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Celsius by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,565,409 shares of the company's stock worth $163,112,000 after purchasing an additional 277,424 shares during the period. Ranger Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Celsius during the 2nd quarter worth about $13,629,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of Celsius by 4,648.1% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 92,873 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,295,000 after buying an additional 90,917 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maven Securities LTD purchased a new position in shares of Celsius during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,192,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.95% of the company's stock.

About Celsius

Celsius Holdings, Inc develops, markets and distributes functional, better-for-you beverages under the CELSIUS brand. Its products are positioned as energy drinks designed to support active lifestyles and are marketed with claims related to fitness, metabolism and sustained energy. The company offers a range of carbonated and noncarbonated beverages in various flavors and formulations, including CELSIUS Originals, CELSIUS Vibe and CELSIUS Essentials, as well as powdered drink mixes and other related products.

The company sells its beverages through a broad network of retail and e-commerce channels, including convenience stores, grocery stores, drugstores, warehouse clubs, gyms and other specialty outlets.

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