SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Hold Rating

by · The Markets Daily

StockNews.com upgraded shares of SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL – Free Report) (TSE:SOY) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Saturday morning.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on STKL. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 target price on shares of SunOpta in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Stephens boosted their price objective on SunOpta from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, SunOpta currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $9.50.

Read Our Latest Research Report on STKL

SunOpta Price Performance

STKL stock traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $7.29. The company had a trading volume of 674,472 shares, compared to its average volume of 864,329. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $6.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.89. SunOpta has a fifty-two week low of $3.85 and a fifty-two week high of $7.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.20.

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

Insider Transactions at SunOpta

In related news, insider Robert Duchscher sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.33, for a total transaction of $366,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 42,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $314,977.43. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of SunOpta

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the 3rd quarter valued at $184,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI acquired a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the third quarter worth $172,000. Royce & Associates LP boosted its position in shares of SunOpta by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,538,496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,816,000 after purchasing an additional 130,470 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its position in shares of SunOpta by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 212,462 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,356,000 after purchasing an additional 30,646 shares during the period. Finally, Hollencrest Capital Management increased its stake in SunOpta by 1,600.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 17,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 16,000 shares in the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SunOpta Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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