Skylands Capital LLC Trims Holdings in Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. $NATR

Key Points

• Skylands Capital LLC trimmed its holdings by 44.1% in Nature's Sunshine Products in Q4, selling 142,600 shares and finishing the quarter with 180,750 shares (about 1.03% of the company) valued at roughly $3.90 million.
• Analysts have turned positive, with several firms raising price targets and issuing Buy ratings (average target $31), while the stock trades near its 52-week high (opened $27.43, high $28.14) and carries a market cap of $480.3 million and a P/E of 25.9.
• Insiders have been net sellers, disposing of 38,899 shares worth about $951,206 in the last three months, leaving insiders with a 3.10% ownership stake despite the analyst upgrades.

Skylands Capital LLC trimmed its holdings in Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR - Free Report) by 44.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 180,750 shares of the company's stock after selling 142,600 shares during the quarter. Skylands Capital LLC owned about 1.03% of Nature's Sunshine Products worth $3,901,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Nature's Sunshine Products by 2.2% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 913,791 shares of the company's stock worth $14,181,000 after purchasing an additional 20,037 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 15.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 803,104 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,464,000 after purchasing an additional 106,688 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 14.6% during the third quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 675,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,488,000 after purchasing an additional 86,128 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 9.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 317,731 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,700,000 after purchasing an additional 27,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. now owns 312,000 shares of the company's stock worth $4,842,000 after purchasing an additional 12,000 shares in the last quarter. 79.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Nature's Sunshine Products Stock Performance

Shares of Nature's Sunshine Products stock opened at $27.43 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $480.30 million, a PE ratio of 25.88 and a beta of 0.92. Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. has a 52-week low of $11.38 and a 52-week high of $28.14.

Nature's Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.11. Nature's Sunshine Products had a net margin of 4.07% and a return on equity of 14.36%. The firm had revenue of $123.81 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $121.62 million.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on NATR. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Nature's Sunshine Products from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings raised Nature's Sunshine Products from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on Nature's Sunshine Products from $22.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $31.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nature's Sunshine Products

In other Nature's Sunshine Products news, CAO Jonathan David Lanoy sold 4,000 shares of Nature's Sunshine Products 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 46,405 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,146,203.50. This trade represents a 7.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Bryant J. Yates sold 19,516 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.35, for a total value of $475,214.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 85,154 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,073,499.90. This represents a 18.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 38,899 shares of company stock worth $951,206. Insiders own 3.10% of the company's stock.

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.

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