Nature's Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Technical breakout: Nature's Sunshine (NATR) crossed above its 200-day moving average, trading as high as $27.50 and last at $27.34 versus the 200-day MA of $21.88 (volume 90,848).
• Analyst optimism has risen—Canaccord raised its target to $29 (buy), DA Davidson to $33 (buy), and Weiss upgraded to buy—leaving a consensus Buy rating and a $31 target price.
• Fundamentals showed a beat with Q earnings of $0.30 vs. $0.19 expected and $123.81M revenue, but insiders sold ~38,899 shares in the past 90 days (insiders own 3.10%) while institutional ownership is high at 79.4%.

Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR - Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $21.88 and traded as high as $27.50. Nature's Sunshine Products shares last traded at $27.34, with a volume of 90,848 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NATR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on Nature's Sunshine Products from $22.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. 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, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $31.00.

Nature's Sunshine Products Stock Performance

The business's 50-day moving average is $25.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $478.72 million, a PE ratio of 25.79 and a beta of 0.92.

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

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 that occurred 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 46,405 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,146,203.50. The trade was a 7.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel C. Norman sold 15,383 shares of Nature's Sunshine Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.52, for a total value of $377,191.16. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 55,693 shares in the company, valued at $1,365,592.36. This represents a 21.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 38,899 shares of company stock valued at $951,206. 3.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nature's Sunshine Products

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 39.4% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 22,621 shares of the company's stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 6,395 shares during the period. Aristides Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 40,907 shares of the company's stock worth $883,000 after purchasing an additional 4,184 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 9.9% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 29,363 shares of the company's stock worth $634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,650 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd grew its stake in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 13,861 shares of the company's stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 1,546 shares during the period. Finally, Verdad Advisers LP acquired a new position in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products during the 4th quarter worth $242,000. 79.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nature's Sunshine Products Company Profile

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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