SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Upgraded at StockNews.com

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

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Stephens increased their price objective on SunOpta from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $9.00 price target on shares of SunOpta in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $9.50.

SunOpta Stock Up 3.0 %

Shares of STKL opened at $7.51 on Friday. SunOpta has a 52-week low of $4.36 and a 52-week high of $7.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $6.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.88. The company has a market capitalization of $897.07 million, a PE ratio of -41.72 and a beta of 1.83.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Robert Duchscher sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.33, for a total transaction of $366,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 42,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $314,977.43. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SunOpta

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in SunOpta in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in SunOpta by 139.3% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 4,772 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC acquired a new position in SunOpta during the 2nd quarter worth $60,000. MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in SunOpta during the 2nd quarter worth about $63,000. Finally, Tealwood Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in SunOpta in the 3rd quarter valued at about $80,000. 85.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About SunOpta

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.