Insider Buying: Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) Major Shareholder Acquires 96,000 Shares

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) major shareholder Prescott Group Capital Managem purchased 96,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $16.63 per share, with a total value of $1,596,480.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 1,883,610 shares in the company, valued at $31,324,434.30. This represents a 5.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Prescott Group Capital Managem also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, August 10th, Prescott Group Capital Managem acquired 40,876 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $15.84 per share, for a total transaction of $647,475.84.
• On Thursday, August 6th, Prescott Group Capital Managem acquired 4,513 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $16.57 per share, with a total value of $74,780.41.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Stock Down 3.7%

Shares of NATR stock traded down $0.61 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $15.77. 426,791 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 139,474. Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $12.97 and a fifty-two week high of $28.14. The firm has a market cap of $277.55 million, a P/E ratio of 15.61 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $20.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.44.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nature’s Sunshine Products

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 44,803 shares of the company’s stock worth $967,000 after buying an additional 736 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 1.4% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 54,008 shares of the company’s stock valued at $799,000 after acquiring an additional 753 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd grew its position in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 7.7% in the first quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,340 shares of the company’s stock worth $368,000 after acquiring an additional 1,092 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 49,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,075,000 after acquiring an additional 1,513 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on NATR shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $37.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. DA Davidson cut their price objective on Nature’s Sunshine Products from $33.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Nature’s Sunshine Products from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Nature’s Sunshine Products presently has an average 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.