Natural Health Trends Corp. (NASDAQ:NHTC) Short Interest Up 47.3% in February

Natural Health Trends Corp. (NASDAQ:NHTC) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 41,700 shares, an increase of 47.3% from the January 31st total of 28,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 23,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Natural Health Trends

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NHTC. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Natural Health Trends in the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Natural Health Trends by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 86,590 shares of the company’s stock valued at $515,000 after acquiring an additional 5,624 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Natural Health Trends by 51.4% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 16,108 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 5,467 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Natural Health Trends by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 43,760 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after purchasing an additional 2,274 shares during the period. 10.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Natural Health Trends Price Performance

NASDAQ:NHTC traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $5.11. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 68,856 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,424. The business’s fifty day moving average is $4.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.54. The stock has a market cap of $58.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 85.18 and a beta of 0.91. Natural Health Trends has a 1 year low of $4.02 and a 1 year high of $7.40.

Natural Health Trends (NASDAQ:NHTC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter. Natural Health Trends had a return on equity of 1.53% and a net margin of 1.33%.

Natural Health Trends Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. Natural Health Trends’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 1,333.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Natural Health Trends in a report on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

About Natural Health Trends

Natural Health Trends Corp., a direct-selling and e-commerce company, provides personal care, wellness, and lifestyle products under the NHT Global brand. The company offers wellness products, including liquid, encapsulated, tableted and powder dietary and nutritional supplements, vitamins, and minerals; and herbal products comprising herbal supplements.