USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

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) was the target of 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 daily volume of 174,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.6 days. Approximately7.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Approximately7.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 174,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.6 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider David Mulham Mulham sold 3,515 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.26, for a total transaction of $106,363.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 9,260 shares of the company's stock, valued at $280,207.60. This represents a 27.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO G Doug Iiekking sold 4,548 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.61, for a total transaction of $134,666.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,528 shares of company stock valued at $466,513 over the last quarter. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of USANA Health Sciences

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in USANA Health Sciences by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,611 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in USANA Health Sciences by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 9,184 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 606 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in USANA Health Sciences by 339.6% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 998 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 771 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P increased its position in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 5.4% during the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 17,542 shares of the company's stock valued at $473,000 after buying an additional 900 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 542.5% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,150 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 971 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 54.25% of the company's stock.

USANA Health Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of USNA stock traded down $0.40 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $29.00. 72,218 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 183,632. The firm has a market cap of $539.97 million, a P/E ratio of 16.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.64. USANA Health Sciences has a fifty-two week low of $23.10 and a fifty-two week high of $43.26. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $30.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.97.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.20. USANA Health Sciences had a net margin of 3.79% and a return on equity of 9.48%. The business had revenue of $235.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $225.20 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that USANA Health Sciences will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal 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.

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