Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $17.75.

HLF has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Herbalife from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $21.00 price target (up from $17.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Zacks Research raised Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Maxim Group initiated coverage on Herbalife in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock.

Herbalife Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HLF opened at $14.41 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.55, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $16.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.03. Herbalife has a 12 month low of $6.20 and a 12 month high of $20.40.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.24 billion. Herbalife had a net margin of 4.53% and a negative return on equity of 35.02%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.36 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Herbalife will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Herbalife by 236.8% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 133,245 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 93,686 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Herbalife by 4.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 59,964 shares of the company’s stock worth $517,000 after acquiring an additional 2,523 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Herbalife by 12.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,301 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 3,474 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Herbalife by 3.3% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 210,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,820,000 after purchasing an additional 6,747 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Herbalife in the second quarter valued at about $118,000.

About Herbalife

Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) operates as a global multi-level marketing company specializing in weight-management, nutritional supplement, sports nutrition and personal care products. Its portfolio includes protein shakes, vitamins, energy and fitness supplements, hydration products and skin and hair care items, all formulated to support wellness, performance and healthy living. Products are manufactured in GMP-certified facilities to ensure consistent quality and safety standards.

Founded in 1980 by Mark R.