USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

Separately, DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of USANA Health Sciences from $38.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd.

USANA Health Sciences Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE USNA traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $34.71. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 105,555 shares, compared to its average volume of 81,861. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $37.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $661.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.89. USANA Health Sciences has a one year low of $34.15 and a one year high of $54.81.

USANA Health Sciences (NYSE:USNA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.07. USANA Health Sciences had a return on equity of 10.64% and a net margin of 6.30%. The company had revenue of $200.22 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $208.45 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.59 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that USANA Health Sciences will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Gilbert A. Fuller sold 675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.71, for a total value of $25,454.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On USANA Health Sciences

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of USANA Health Sciences by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $750,000 after purchasing an additional 1,771 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its position in USANA Health Sciences by 111.9% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 27,737 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,052,000 after buying an additional 14,647 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in USANA Health Sciences by 4.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 297,120 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,269,000 after buying an additional 12,898 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in USANA Health Sciences by 0.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 435,164 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,501,000 after buying an additional 2,782 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC bought a new position in USANA Health Sciences in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. 54.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About USANA Health Sciences

USANA Health Sciences, Inc develops, manufactures, and sells science-based nutritional, personal care, and skincare products in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. The company offers USANA nutritional products that comprise essentials/CellSentials, such as vitamin and mineral supplements that provide a foundation of total body nutrition for various age groups; optimizers consisting of targeted supplements that are designed to meet cardiovascular, skeletal/structural, and digestive health needs; and food that include meal replacement shakes, snack bars, and other related products.