Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Mizuho lifted their price target on Herbalife from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price target (up from $17.00) on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Maxim Group assumed coverage on Herbalife in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Herbalife from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Herbalife presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $17.75.

Herbalife Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of HLF stock traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $16.71. 85,062 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,550,244. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $13.75. Herbalife has a 1-year low of $6.45 and a 1-year high of $20.40. The company has a market cap of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.95.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). Herbalife had a net margin of 4.53% and a negative return on equity of 35.02%. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.24 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.36 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Herbalife will post 2.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Herbalife

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Optimize Financial Inc lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 61,426 shares of the company’s stock valued at $792,000 after buying an additional 880 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 14,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,000 after buying an additional 933 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 36,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 1,217 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 24,229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $312,000 after buying an additional 1,348 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Herbalife by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 16,488 shares of the company’s stock valued at $213,000 after buying an additional 1,351 shares during the last quarter.

Herbalife Company Profile

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.