Nature's Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) Shares Cross Below 200 Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Nature’s Sunshine Products shares fell below their 200-day moving average of $19.25, trading as low as $12.40 and last changing hands at $12.55.
• The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, with EPS of $0.21 versus $0.27 expected and revenue of $116.99 million compared with the $123.70 million consensus estimate.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautiously positive: the stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a $30.50 average price target, while insiders have purchased more than 161,000 shares over the past 90 days.

Shares of Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR - Get Free Report) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $19.25 and traded as low as $12.40. Nature's Sunshine Products shares last traded at $12.55, with a volume of 82,721 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. DA Davidson cut their price objective on Nature's Sunshine Products from $33.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on Nature's Sunshine Products from $37.00 to $36.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Nature's Sunshine Products from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Nature's Sunshine Products from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, August 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $30.50.

Nature's Sunshine Products Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $220.88 million, a PE ratio of 12.43 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $13.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $19.25.

Nature's Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.27 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $116.99 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $123.70 million. Nature's Sunshine Products had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 3.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Prescott Group Capital Managem acquired 96,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.63 per share, with a total value of $1,596,480.00. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 1,883,610 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,324,434.30. The trade was a 5.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 161,389 shares of company stock worth $2,612,536. Corporate insiders own 3.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NATR. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its stake in Nature's Sunshine Products by 415.5% during the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 7,444 shares of the company's stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 6,000 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in Nature's Sunshine Products by 134.3% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 27,071 shares of the company's stock worth $590,000 after buying an additional 15,518 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Nature's Sunshine Products in the second quarter worth $436,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Nature's Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at $390,000. Finally, Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Nature's Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at $7,412,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.40% of the company's stock.

Nature's Sunshine Products Company Profile

Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc is a natural health and wellness company that develops, manufactures and distributes nutritional supplements and related products. Its portfolio includes herbal supplements, vitamins, minerals, specialty nutrition products, personal care items, essential oils and products focused on areas such as sports nutrition and weight management.

The company markets products under the Nature's Sunshine and Synergy WorldWide brands. It sells through direct-selling and other distribution channels, serving customers in the United States and international markets, including countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Founded in 1972, Nature's Sunshine Products has emphasized ingredient sourcing, product formulation and in-house manufacturing as parts of its business model.

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