Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVO) Short Interest Up 16.2% in January

Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVO - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,720,000 shares, an increase of 16.2% from the January 15th total of 1,480,000 shares. Currently, 3.8% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 334,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.1 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mission Produce

In other news, CEO Stephen J. Barnard sold 7,032 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.51, for a total value of $102,034.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,787,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,935,899.50. This trade represents a 0.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Luis A. Gonzalez sold 18,278 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.49, for a total transaction of $264,848.22. Following the transaction, the director now owns 256,722 shares in the company, valued at $3,719,901.78. The trade was a 6.65 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 224,252 shares of company stock worth $3,256,786 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 41.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mission Produce by 328.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 485,095 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,971,000 after acquiring an additional 371,813 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mission Produce by 153.3% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 453,757 shares of the company's stock worth $6,520,000 after buying an additional 274,591 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Mission Produce by 16.8% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,787,778 shares of the company's stock worth $25,691,000 after buying an additional 257,344 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Mission Produce during the third quarter valued at $1,939,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mission Produce in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,147,000. 63.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Mission Produce Trading Down 0.8 %

AVO traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $11.98. 272,088 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 331,375. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $12.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $849.62 million, a PE ratio of 23.49 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Mission Produce has a 52-week low of $9.54 and a 52-week high of $15.25.

About Mission Produce

Mission Produce, Inc engages in the sourcing, farming, packaging, marketing, and distribution of avocados, mangoes, and blueberries to food retailers, distributors, and foodservice customers in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments, Marketing and Distribution; International Farming; and Blueberries.