SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Downgraded to “Sell” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of SunOpta from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of SunOpta from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of SunOpta from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $9.40.

SunOpta Price Performance

SunOpta stock opened at $5.20 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $615.32 million, a PE ratio of -3.42 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.22. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $6.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.80. SunOpta has a twelve month low of $2.79 and a twelve month high of $7.59.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.02. The company had revenue of $182.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.87 million. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 24.00% and a positive return on equity of 2.50%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.05 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that SunOpta will post 0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph Ennen sold 150,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.89, for a total transaction of $1,033,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,743,399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,012,019.11. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Brian W. Kocher purchased 36,000 shares of SunOpta stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.75 per share, with a total value of $243,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 36,000 shares in the company, valued at $243,000. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Joseph Ennen sold 150,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.89, for a total transaction of $1,033,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,743,399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,012,019.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of SunOpta

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in SunOpta by 67.4% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 7,663 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 3,085 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of SunOpta by 50.9% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 3,439 shares in the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of SunOpta in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of SunOpta in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, Realta Investment Advisors acquired a new position in shares of SunOpta in the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. 85.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.