Vanguard Group Inc. Acquires 71,116 Shares of SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL - Free Report) TSE: SOY by 3.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,207,838 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 71,116 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 1.85% of SunOpta worth $17,002,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. purchased a new position in shares of SunOpta in the fourth quarter valued at about $81,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of SunOpta by 33.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 13,522 shares of the company's stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 3,360 shares in the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in SunOpta in the fourth quarter worth about $92,000. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC bought a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $116,000. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 18,070 shares of the company's stock valued at $139,000 after buying an additional 7,097 shares in the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

SunOpta Price Performance

STKL stock traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $3.90. The company had a trading volume of 650,213 shares, compared to its average volume of 759,471. SunOpta Inc. has a 12-month low of $3.65 and a 12-month high of $8.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $5.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.60. The company has a market capitalization of $467.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.67 and a beta of 1.83.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL - Get Free Report) TSE: SOY last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.06. The firm had revenue of $193.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $189.90 million. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 2.74% and a positive return on equity of 7.92%. On average, research analysts anticipate that SunOpta Inc. will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of SunOpta from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $10.00 price target on shares of SunOpta in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Bryan P. Clark sold 8,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.32, for a total value of $45,220.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $149,758. This represents a 23.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 6.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

SunOpta 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.