Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 87,200 shares, a decrease of 24.0% from the November 15th total of 114,800 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 39,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on NATR shares. Canaccord Genuity Group began coverage on shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in a research report on Friday, September 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on Nature’s Sunshine Products in a report on Friday, September 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com raised Nature’s Sunshine Products from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th.

Nature’s Sunshine Products Stock Performance

NATR stock opened at $15.61 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $14.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.55. Nature’s Sunshine Products has a one year low of $10.81 and a one year high of $21.72. The company has a market capitalization of $288.47 million, a PE ratio of 17.74 and a beta of 0.93.

Insider Transactions at Nature’s Sunshine Products

In other Nature’s Sunshine Products news, major shareholder Fosun Pharmaceutical Shanghai sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.39, for a total transaction of $40,170.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 69,347 shares in the company, valued at approximately $928,556.33. This trade represents a 4.15 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders sold 7,499 shares of company stock worth $99,802 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 4.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Nature’s Sunshine Products

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $180,000. Bailard Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products in the second quarter valued at $197,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 4.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 20,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 51.8% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 35,602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $485,000 after purchasing an additional 12,152 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Nature’s Sunshine Products by 12.6% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 48,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,425 shares in the last quarter. 79.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Nature’s Sunshine Products

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc, a natural health and wellness company, manufactures and sells nutritional and personal care products in Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and internationally. It offers general health products related to blood sugar support, bone health, cellular health, cognitive function, joint health, mood, sexual health, sleep, sports and energy, and vision.