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

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) was the recipient of a large 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 stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,250,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.2 days.

The Hain Celestial Group Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ HAIN traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $4.69. 1,678,477 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,316,756. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $6.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 2.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $422.99 million, a PE ratio of -4.99 and a beta of 0.76. The Hain Celestial Group has a 12-month low of $4.47 and a 12-month high of $11.68.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.02). The Hain Celestial Group had a positive return on equity of 3.13% and a negative net margin of 4.94%. The firm had revenue of $394.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $394.24 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.04) earnings per share. The Hain Celestial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Hain Celestial Group will post 0.43 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 38.1% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 65,271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 18,019 shares during the period. First Hawaiian Bank increased its position in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 15.0% during the 4th quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 65,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $403,000 after purchasing an additional 8,546 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its position in shares of The Hain Celestial Group by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 42,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 5,517 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in The Hain Celestial Group by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 30,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $188,000 after buying an additional 5,250 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in The Hain Celestial Group by 68.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 320,457 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,766,000 after buying an additional 130,477 shares during the last quarter. 97.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.