Swiss National Bank Raises Stake in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)

Swiss National Bank grew its stake in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) by 9.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 188,725 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,800 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in SunOpta were worth $1,457,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in SunOpta during the third quarter worth about $79,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $85,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its holdings 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 worth $86,000 after buying an additional 3,360 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $92,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.39% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded SunOpta from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $10.00 price target on shares of SunOpta in a report on Thursday, January 2nd.

SunOpta Stock Performance

Shares of STKL stock opened at $4.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market cap of $582.01 million, a P/E ratio of -27.00 and a beta of 1.90. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $6.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.89. SunOpta Inc. has a one year low of $4.83 and a one year high of $8.11.

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

Insider Activity at SunOpta

In related news, SVP Bryan P. Clark sold 8,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.32, for a total transaction of $45,220.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,150 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $149,758. This represents a 23.19 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 6.48% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.