BlackRock Inc. Invests $21.56 Million in Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. $NATR

BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 989,020 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,561,000. BlackRock Inc. owned 0.06% of Nature’s Sunshine Products at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the first quarter valued at about $37,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 16,025.0% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,935 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 1,923 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the first quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, Centiva Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the third quarter worth about $157,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Nature’s Sunshine Products

In related news, EVP Bryant J. Yates sold 11,968 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.90, for a total value of $238,163.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 77,446 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,541,175.40. This trade represents a 13.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Prescott Group Capital Managem acquired 96,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $16.63 per share, with a total value of $1,596,480.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 1,883,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,324,434.30. The trade was a 5.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 161,389 shares of company stock valued at $2,612,536. Insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Price Performance

NASDAQ NATR opened at $14.16 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $249.22 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.02 and a beta of 0.84. Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. has a 12 month low of $12.97 and a 12 month high of $28.14. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $18.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.15.

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.27 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $116.99 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $123.70 million. Nature’s Sunshine Products had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 3.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Nature’s Sunshine Products from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Nature’s Sunshine Products from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $33.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $37.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.50.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Company Profile

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc is a global manufacturer and direct seller of nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and personal care products. The company’s core business centers on research, development and distribution of vitamins, minerals, botanicals and essential oil-based formulations designed to support overall health and wellness. Operating under a network-marketing model, Nature’s Sunshine works through a network of independent distributors who promote and sell its product line directly to consumers.

The company’s product portfolio spans dietary supplements such as single-ingredient vitamins, proprietary herbal blends, sports nutrition formulas and weight-management solutions, along with skin and hair care items based on botanical extracts and essential oils.