LifeVantage Co. (NASDAQ:LFVN) Short Interest Up 137.5% in February

LifeVantage Co. (NASDAQ:LFVN) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,410,000 shares, an increase of 137.5% from the January 31st total of 593,800 shares. Approximately 14.0% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 214,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.6 days.

LifeVantage Stock Performance

Shares of LFVN stock traded up $0.59 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $17.17. 162,670 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 298,607. The company has a market capitalization of $215.50 million, a P/E ratio of 30.66 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $20.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.92. LifeVantage has a fifty-two week low of $5.22 and a fifty-two week high of $27.38.

LifeVantage (NASDAQ:LFVN) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.08. LifeVantage had a net margin of 3.46% and a return on equity of 34.29%.

LifeVantage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.93%. LifeVantage’s payout ratio is 28.57%.

Insider Activity at LifeVantage

In other news, Director Raymond B. Greer sold 8,000 shares of LifeVantage stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.15, for a total transaction of $161,200.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 99,288 shares in the company, valued at $2,000,653.20. This trade represents a 7.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 20.65% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of LifeVantage

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in LifeVantage by 38.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 41,966 shares of the company’s stock valued at $507,000 after buying an additional 11,608 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of LifeVantage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $638,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of LifeVantage by 65.2% in the 4th quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 47,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $830,000 after purchasing an additional 18,682 shares in the last quarter. Capital Management Corp VA acquired a new stake in LifeVantage during the third quarter valued at approximately $5,073,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in LifeVantage during the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Institutional investors own 35.32% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on LFVN. Lake Street Capital started coverage on shares of LifeVantage in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Craig Hallum initiated coverage on LifeVantage in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock.

About LifeVantage

LifeVantage Corporation engages in the identification, research, development, formulation, and sale of advanced nutrigenomic activators, dietary supplements, nootropics, pre- and pro-biotics, weight management, skin and hair care, bath and body, and targeted relief products. It offers Protandim, a dietary supplement; LifeVantage Omega+, a dietary supplement that combines DHA and EPA Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-7 fatty acids, and vitamin D3; LifeVantage ProBio, a dietary supplement to support gut health; PhysIQ, a weight management system; LifeVantage IC Bright, a supplement to support eye and brain health, reduce eye fatigue and strain, supports cognitive functions, and support normal sleep patterns; Petandim for Dogs, a supplement to combat oxidative stress in dogs; and Axio, a nootropic energy drink mix.