Short Interest in The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) Increases By 6.4%

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,290,000 shares, an increase of 6.4% from the December 15th total of 4,970,000 shares. Currently, 5.9% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,250,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.2 days.

The Hain Celestial Group Price Performance

Shares of HAIN traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $4.69. 1,678,477 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,316,756. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The Hain Celestial Group has a 52-week low of $4.47 and a 52-week high of $11.68. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.53. The company has a market cap of $423.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.99 and a beta of 0.76.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $394.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $394.24 million. The Hain Celestial Group had a positive return on equity of 3.13% and a negative net margin of 4.94%. The Hain Celestial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.04) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Hain Celestial Group will post 0.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hain Celestial Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Hain Celestial Group by 171.3% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,634,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,206,000 after acquiring an additional 1,663,542 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,942,000. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 54.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 1,224,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,568,000 after acquiring an additional 434,070 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake in The Hain Celestial Group by 257.0% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 496,842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,288,000 after purchasing an additional 357,669 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new stake in shares of The Hain Celestial Group in the 3rd quarter worth $2,515,000. 97.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HAIN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Barclays cut their price objective on The Hain Celestial Group from $8.00 to $6.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of The Hain Celestial Group from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.00.

The Hain Celestial Group Company Profile

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.