Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) Stock Passes Above 50 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR)’s stock price crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $21.94 and traded as high as $24.97. Nature’s Sunshine Products shares last traded at $24.49, with a volume of 137,883 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on NATR. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.50.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $21.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.00. The company has a market capitalization of $428.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.23 and a beta of 0.93.

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.18. Nature’s Sunshine Products had a net margin of 3.18% and a return on equity of 10.86%. The business had revenue of $88.99 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $119.39 million.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Nature’s Sunshine Products news, EVP Bryant J. Yates sold 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.29, for a total transaction of $37,893.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 98,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,197,883.16. This represents a 1.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Nathan G. Brower sold 3,800 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.81, for a total transaction of $79,078.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $972,555.35. This represents a 7.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 19,384 shares of company stock worth $400,988. Company insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nature’s Sunshine Products

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at $30,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in Nature’s Sunshine Products during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 147.0% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,075 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,235 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $121,000. 79.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.