JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts Stake in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL - Free Report) TSE: SOY by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 515,170 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 56,621 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned 0.43% of SunOpta worth $3,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in SunOpta by 139.3% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,197 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 4,772 shares during the last quarter. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in SunOpta in the 2nd quarter valued at $63,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in SunOpta in the 3rd quarter valued at $79,000. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in SunOpta in the 3rd quarter valued at $80,000. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new position in SunOpta in the 3rd quarter valued at $85,000. 85.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SunOpta Stock Down 1.4 %

SunOpta stock traded down $0.10 during trading on Monday, reaching $7.30. 525,891 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 468,774. The company's 50-day moving average is $7.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.20. SunOpta Inc. has a 52-week low of $4.88 and a 52-week high of $8.11. The firm has a market cap of $873.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.55 and a beta of 1.80.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL - Get Free Report) TSE: SOY last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 2.74% and a positive return on equity of 7.92%. The firm had revenue of $176.22 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $172.30 million. On average, analysts predict that SunOpta Inc. will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STKL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $10.00 price objective on shares of SunOpta in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded SunOpta from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and set a $9.00 price objective on shares of SunOpta in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $9.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other SunOpta news, insider Robert Duchscher sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.33, for a total value of $366,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 42,971 shares of the company's stock, valued at $314,977.43. This represents a 53.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Rebecca Fisher sold 13,142 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.58, for a total transaction of $99,616.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 108,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $822,430. The trade was a 10.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

SunOpta Company Profile

SunOpta Inc engages in manufacture and sale of plant-based and fruit-based food and beverage products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company provides plant-based beverages utilizing oat, almond, soy, coconut, rice, hemp, and other bases under the Dream and West Life brands; oat-based creamers under the SOWN brand; ready-to-drink protein shakes; and nut, grain, seed, and legume based beverages; packaged teas and concentrates; and meat and vegetable broths and stocks.