B. Riley Securities initiated coverage with a "buy" rating
The shares of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd (NYSE:HLF) are up 2.5% to trade at $54.90 at last check, after B. Riley Securities initiated coverage with a "buy" rating and $70 price target. The firm called the company a leader in weight management supplements, and noted its increased presence in sports and fitness.
HLF has been struggling since early June to break above the $55.50 level, and subsequently suffered a multi-week pullback. However, the 40-day moving average has emerged as stable support, guiding the stock to its now 13% year-to-date gain.
Today's fresh note has B. Riley Securities joining minimal but bullish coverage, with the one analyst already in coverage sporting a "strong buy." Meanwhile, the 5.91 million shares sold short account for 5.7% of the stock's available float, or nearly seven days' worth of pent-up buying power.
Options bulls have been targeting HLF as well, as per the security's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 9.10 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). This ratio stands higher than all other readings from the past year, meaning calls have been wildly outpacing puts over the last 12 months.
Lastly, the stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 28% stands higher than just 11% of all other readings in its annual range. This implies that options players are pricing in relatively low volatility expectations at the moment.