Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Nu Skin Enterprises has been downgraded from a "strong-buy" to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, indicating a shift in analyst sentiment regarding the company's stock.
• The company's most recent quarterly earnings reported an EPS of $0.43, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.25, alongside revenue of $386.14 million, surpassing expectations as well.
• Insider trading activity included a notable sale of 4,532 shares by Director Edwina D. Woodbury, representing a 9.55% decrease in ownership, while insider Steven Keith Hatchett increased his stake by acquiring 6,500 shares.

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS - Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Saturday morning.

Nu Skin Enterprises Price Performance

NYSE NUS traded up $1.64 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $10.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,293,153 shares, compared to its average volume of 656,317. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $8.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Nu Skin Enterprises has a 1 year low of $5.32 and a 1 year high of $10.64. The company has a market capitalization of $522.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.26 and a beta of 0.91.

Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.18. Nu Skin Enterprises had a return on equity of 8.23% and a net margin of 6.20%. The company had revenue of $386.14 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $376.68 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Nu Skin Enterprises will post 1.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nu Skin Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 29th. Nu Skin Enterprises's dividend payout ratio is 11.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nu Skin Enterprises

In other news, insider Steven Keith Hatchett purchased 6,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $7.54 per share, with a total value of $49,010.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 162,065 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,221,970.10. This represents a 4.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Edwina D. Woodbury sold 4,532 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.44, for a total value of $38,250.08. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 42,947 shares in the company, valued at $362,472.68. The trade was a 9.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nu Skin Enterprises

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 24.2% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 700,500 shares of the company's stock worth $4,826,000 after purchasing an additional 136,624 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc lifted its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 125.5% during the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 102,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $709,000 after purchasing an additional 57,235 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises in the first quarter worth approximately $118,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises in the fourth quarter worth approximately $80,000. 82.84% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Nu Skin Enterprises

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and distribution of various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO; and nutricentials skin care products.