USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA) Share Price Breaks Above 50 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• USANA shares rose 2.8%, trading as high as $14.90 and breaking above the 50-day moving average of $14.57, though they remained below the 200-day average of $18.10.
• Analyst sentiment remains weak: Zacks upgraded the stock to “hold,” while Weiss maintained “sell” and Wall Street Zen downgraded it to “hold.” MarketBeat reports a consensus “Reduce” rating.
• The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting a loss of $0.07 per share versus expected earnings of $0.43 and revenue of $223.27 million versus the $235 million consensus estimate. Institutional investors own 54.25% of the stock.

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA - Get Free Report) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $14.57 and traded as high as $14.90. USANA Health Sciences shares last traded at $14.7150, with a volume of 175,944 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on USNA shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of USANA Health Sciences from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of USANA Health Sciences in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of USANA Health Sciences from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce".

USANA Health Sciences Stock Up 2.8%

The company has a market cap of $271.93 million, a PE ratio of -12.16, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a 50-day moving average of $14.57 and a 200-day moving average of $18.10.

USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.43 by ($0.50). The company had revenue of $223.27 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $235.00 million. USANA Health Sciences had a positive return on equity of 3.41% and a negative net margin of 2.43%. As a group, equities analysts predict that USANA Health Sciences, Inc. will post 0.76 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in USANA Health Sciences during the second quarter valued at about $33,182,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in USANA Health Sciences during the second quarter worth about $25,739,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in USANA Health Sciences in the second quarter worth about $1,500,000. Nantahala Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in USANA Health Sciences in the second quarter worth about $17,295,080. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in USANA Health Sciences in the second quarter worth about $1,105,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.25% of the company's stock.

USANA Health Sciences Company Profile

USANA Health Sciences, Inc develops and sells nutritional supplements, healthy foods and personal-care products through a direct-selling business model. Its product portfolio includes vitamins and mineral supplements, meal-replacement and snack products, sports nutrition offerings, and skincare products marketed under the USANA and related brands.

Founded in 1992 by microbiologist and immunologist Myron W. Wentz, the company is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. USANA distributes its products through a network of independent associates and preferred customers rather than primarily through traditional retail channels.

The company serves customers in markets across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, with a significant presence in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

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