Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. $NATR Stock: Skylands Capital LLC Grows Stake

Skylands Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) by 1,034.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 179,509 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 163,685 shares during the quarter. Skylands Capital LLC’s holdings in Nature’s Sunshine Products were worth $2,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter worth approximately $21,561,000. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products during the second quarter valued at approximately $7,412,000. Man Group plc bought a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,766,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products by 268.9% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 171,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,123,000 after acquiring an additional 125,264 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter worth about $2,366,000. Institutional investors own 79.40% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Prescott Group Capital Managem purchased 96,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $16.63 per share, with a total value of $1,596,480.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 1,883,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,324,434.30. The trade was a 5.37% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 161,389 shares of company stock valued at $2,612,536. Company insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products stock opened at $12.26 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $13.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.08. Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. has a 52-week low of $12.00 and a 52-week high of $28.14. The company has a market cap of $215.78 million, a P/E ratio of 12.14 and a beta of 0.81.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Nature’s Sunshine Products Profile

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc is a natural health and wellness company that develops, manufactures and distributes nutritional supplements and related products. Its portfolio includes herbal supplements, vitamins, minerals, specialty nutrition products, personal care items, essential oils and products focused on areas such as sports nutrition and weight management.

The company markets products under the Nature’s Sunshine and Synergy WorldWide brands. It sells through direct-selling and other distribution channels, serving customers in the United States and international markets, including countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Founded in 1972, Nature’s Sunshine Products has emphasized ingredient sourcing, product formulation and in-house manufacturing as parts of its business model.