USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• USANA Health Sciences experienced a significant increase in short interest, rising by 2,787.0% from 27,600 shares to 796,800 shares as of July 15th.
• Analysts have upgraded USANA shares from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating", indicating positive sentiment regarding the company's future performance.
• Insider sales totaled $466,513 over the last quarter, with significant shares sold by key executives, leading to a 27.51% decrease in one insider's ownership.

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA - Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 796,800 shares, agrowthof2,787.0% from the June 30th total of 27,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 174,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days. Approximately7.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately7.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 174,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at USANA Health Sciences

In other USANA Health Sciences news, insider David Mulham Mulham sold 3,515 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.26, for a total value of $106,363.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,260 shares in the company, valued at $280,207.60. This represents a 27.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Walter Noot sold 6,291 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.29, for a total value of $190,554.39. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 14,854 shares of company stock valued at $446,415. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of USANA Health Sciences

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of USNA. Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 1,198,260 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,583,000 after acquiring an additional 103,074 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 46.2% during the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 188,511 shares of the company's stock worth $5,084,000 after acquiring an additional 59,535 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in USANA Health Sciences by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 773,228 shares of the company's stock worth $27,751,000 after buying an additional 55,059 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in USANA Health Sciences during the first quarter worth $895,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 23.5% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 173,997 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,693,000 after purchasing an additional 33,141 shares during the last quarter. 54.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded USANA Health Sciences from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

USANA Health Sciences Price Performance

USANA Health Sciences stock traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $29.10. 34,250 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 182,657. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $30.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.85. The company has a market capitalization of $541.75 million, a P/E ratio of 16.14, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.61. USANA Health Sciences has a 12-month low of $23.10 and a 12-month high of $41.83.

USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $235.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $225.20 million. USANA Health Sciences had a return on equity of 9.48% and a net margin of 3.79%. Equities research analysts predict that USANA Health Sciences will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current year.

USANA Health Sciences Company Profile

USANA Health Sciences, Inc develops, manufactures, and sells science-based nutritional, personal care, and skincare products in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. The company offers USANA nutritional products that comprise essentials/CellSentials, such as vitamin and mineral supplements that provide a foundation of total body nutrition for various age groups; optimizers consisting of targeted supplements that are designed to meet cardiovascular, skeletal/structural, and digestive health needs; and food that include meal replacement shakes, snack bars, and other related products.