Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Shares Down 6.4% – Here’s What Happened

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF)’s share price traded down 6.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $12.38 and last traded at $12.26. Approximately 648,604 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 58% from the average session volume of 1,561,391 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.10.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HLF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut shares of Herbalife from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Mizuho set a $17.00 price objective on Herbalife in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Herbalife from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Weiss Ratings raised Herbalife from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Herbalife from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.80.

Herbalife Stock Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $12.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.86.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.03. Herbalife had a net margin of 4.67% and a negative return on equity of 41.47%. The firm had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.59 earnings per share. Herbalife’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Herbalife Ltd will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Herbalife

In other news, insider Frank Lamberti sold 134,982 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.50, for a total transaction of $1,822,257.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 36,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $494,424. This represents a 78.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Troy Hicks sold 38,377 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.93, for a total value of $496,214.61. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,062 shares in the company, valued at $117,171.66. The trade was a 80.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 191,296 shares of company stock valued at $2,551,678 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 5.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Herbalife

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLF. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Herbalife during the first quarter valued at $9,491,000. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Herbalife by 122.2% in the 3rd quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 1,000,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,440,000 after acquiring an additional 550,000 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Herbalife by 29.3% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,877,717 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,638,000 after purchasing an additional 425,968 shares during the last quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Herbalife in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,550,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Herbalife by 1,156.1% during the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group LLC now owns 414,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,343,000 after purchasing an additional 381,500 shares during the period.

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.