SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Hits New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $4.86 and last traded at $4.90, with a volume of 307174 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STKL has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded SunOpta from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $10.00 price target on shares of SunOpta in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd.

SunOpta Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $582.01 million, a P/E ratio of -27.00 and a beta of 1.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The company’s 50-day moving average is $6.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.89.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.06. The firm had revenue of $193.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $189.90 million. SunOpta had a positive return on equity of 7.92% and a negative net margin of 2.74%. As a group, equities analysts predict that SunOpta Inc. will post 0.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Bryan P. Clark sold 8,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.32, for a total transaction of $45,220.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,150 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $149,758. This trade represents a 23.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 6.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SunOpta

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of SunOpta by 250.1% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 759,869 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,848,000 after acquiring an additional 542,832 shares during the last quarter. PDT Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the 3rd quarter worth $726,000. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 18.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,827,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,658,000 after buying an additional 290,372 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its position in SunOpta by 103.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 178,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,142,000 after buying an additional 90,937 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in SunOpta during the fourth quarter worth about $733,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.39% of the company’s stock.

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.