Squarepoint Ops LLC Acquires 121,026 Shares of Herbalife Ltd $HLF

Key Points

• Squarepoint Ops increased its Herbalife stake by 39.4% in the second quarter, purchasing 121,026 additional shares for a total holding of 428,376 shares valued at approximately $5.6 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Citigroup maintained a “Buy” rating but lowered its price target to $17, while other firms downgraded Herbalife or rated it “Hold.” The consensus rating is “Hold,” with an average target of $17.
• Herbalife reported quarterly revenue of $1.33 billion, up 5.4% year over year, but earnings per share of $0.51 fell short of estimates. The company also authorized a $250 million share buyback, representing up to 19.3% of outstanding shares.

Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its stake in Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF - Free Report) by 39.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 428,376 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 121,026 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned 0.41% of Herbalife worth $5,633,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLF. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Herbalife in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Herbalife in the 1st quarter valued at $44,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in Herbalife during the third quarter worth about $65,000. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 49,105.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 9,349 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 9,330 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Herbalife by 512.7% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,544 shares of the company's stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 5,476 shares in the last quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on HLF shares. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $17.00 price target (down from $21.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Herbalife from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Herbalife from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.00.

Herbalife Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE:HLF opened at $12.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.74, a P/E/G ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.85. Herbalife Ltd has a 12-month low of $7.56 and a 12-month high of $20.40. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $13.69.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.03). Herbalife had a net margin of 3.16% and a negative return on equity of 43.90%. The company had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.59 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Herbalife Ltd will post 2.68 EPS for the current year.

Herbalife declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, September 8th that permits the company to repurchase $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 19.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Herbalife 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.

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