Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) Upgraded by Freedom Capital to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on HNST. Alliance Global Partners reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Honest in a research report on Thursday. Northland Securities set a $5.50 price objective on Honest in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Honest in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Honest from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Honest from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $4.38.

Honest Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of HNST opened at $5.46 on Thursday. Honest has a fifty-two week low of $2.07 and a fifty-two week high of $5.84. The company’s fifty day moving average is $3.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.19. The firm has a market cap of $601.04 million, a PE ratio of -49.64 and a beta of 2.12.

Honest (NASDAQ:HNST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $80.19 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.83 million. Honest had a positive return on equity of 4.26% and a negative net margin of 3.56%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Honest will post 0.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Honest news, CFO Curtiss James Bruce III sold 12,669 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.14, for a total value of $39,780.66. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 526,157 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,652,132.98. This trade represents a 2.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Brendan Sheehey sold 9,784 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.14, for a total value of $30,721.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 715,888 shares in the company, valued at $2,247,888.32. This trade represents a 1.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 175,058 shares of company stock valued at $550,591 in the last 90 days. 9.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Honest

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Honest in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,662,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Honest during the second quarter valued at approximately $328,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Honest during the second quarter valued at approximately $75,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Honest by 28.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 223,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $656,000 after purchasing an additional 49,342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amicus Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Honest during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 45.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Honest News

Here are the key news stories impacting Honest this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat expectations: Honest reported adjusted earnings of $0.04 per share, ahead of estimates ranging from $0.01 to $0.02 and up from $0.03 a year earlier. Revenue reached $80.19 million versus the $77.83 million consensus estimate. Honest Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Management increased its fiscal-year 2026 forecast to $319 million-$325 million in revenue and $23 million-$25 million in adjusted EBITDA, signaling confidence in profitability and operating execution. Honest Outlines Raised FY2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst earnings estimates increased: Northland Securities raised its Q3 and Q4 2026 EPS forecasts to $0.03 from $0.02, while maintaining a $0.10 full-year consensus estimate. Honest analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic changes are showing progress: An analysis argues that Honest’s strategic exits are beginning to improve the business, but investors may need further evidence that the gains can be sustained. The Honest Company: Strategic Exits Are Starting To Work
• Negative Sentiment: Execution concerns remain: Another assessment says Honest is still awaiting more consistent improvements, highlighting the risk that recent operating gains may not yet represent a durable turnaround. The Honest Company – Awaiting More Consistent Improvements
• Neutral Sentiment: B. Riley raised its price target to $5 from $4 and retained a “Buy” rating, although the new target is below the recent trading level, limiting its immediate upside implication.

About Honest

The Honest Company, Inc (NASDAQ: HNST) is an American consumer goods firm specializing in eco-friendly and responsibly formulated products for babies, personal care, beauty and home cleaning. The company emphasizes transparency in ingredient sourcing and product safety, positioning itself in the premium segment of mass-market retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

Honest was founded in 2011 by actress Jessica Alba and environmental health advocate Christopher Gavigan with a mission to offer parents household and baby care items free from harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances.