The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) Short Interest Update

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,660,000 shares, an increase of 47.0% from the August 15th total of 3,170,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,200,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.9 days. Currently, 5.3% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HAIN has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $8.00 target price on shares of The Hain Celestial Group in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on The Hain Celestial Group from $7.00 to $9.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $10.88.

Insider Transactions at The Hain Celestial Group

In related news, insider Chad D. Marquardt acquired 5,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $8.32 per share, with a total value of $44,096.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,300 shares in the company, valued at $127,296. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hain Celestial Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 0.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,942,729 shares of the company’s stock valued at $86,010,000 after purchasing an additional 84,689 shares during the period. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 1.1% in the second quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 5,698,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,380,000 after buying an additional 62,865 shares during the last quarter. PGGM Investments grew its holdings in The Hain Celestial Group by 1.3% during the second quarter. PGGM Investments now owns 4,183,854 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,910,000 after acquiring an additional 51,912 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 171.3% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,634,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,206,000 after acquiring an additional 1,663,542 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 14.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,863,497 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,405,000 after acquiring an additional 229,144 shares in the last quarter. 97.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hain Celestial Group Stock Performance

Shares of HAIN opened at $8.33 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $7.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $7.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $748.45 million, a P/E ratio of -8.17 and a beta of 0.75. The Hain Celestial Group has a one year low of $5.68 and a one year high of $12.49.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 27th. The company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.05. The Hain Celestial Group had a positive return on equity of 3.10% and a negative net margin of 4.32%. The firm had revenue of $419.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $417.99 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.11 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that The Hain Celestial Group will post 0.49 EPS for the current year.

About The Hain Celestial Group

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc manufactures, markets, and sells organic and natural products in United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and internationally. It operates through two segments: North America and International. The company offers infant formula; infant, toddler, and kids' food; plant-based beverages and frozen desserts, such as soy, rice, oat, and spelt; and condiments.