SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Given Overweight Rating at Stephens

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reissued by stock analysts at Stephens in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $10.00 price target on the stock. Stephens’ target price suggests a potential upside of 29.87% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on STKL. StockNews.com raised shares of SunOpta from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 9th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $9.00 target price on shares of SunOpta in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. One equities research 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 has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $9.50.

SunOpta Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of STKL opened at $7.70 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The company has a market capitalization of $920.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -42.78 and a beta of 1.78. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $7.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.41. SunOpta has a 52 week low of $4.88 and a 52 week high of $8.11.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.02. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 2.74% and a positive return on equity of 7.92%. The business had revenue of $176.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.30 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that SunOpta will post 0.13 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Rebecca Fisher sold 13,142 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.58, for a total value of $99,616.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 108,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $822,430. This trade represents a 10.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Robert Duchscher sold 50,000 shares of the company’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 directly owns 42,971 shares in the company, valued at approximately $314,977.43. The trade was a 53.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 6.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Dallas Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of SunOpta by 13.3% during the second quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc. now owns 47,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $254,000 after buying an additional 5,500 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of SunOpta in the 2nd quarter valued at $60,000. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC raised its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 38.3% in the 2nd quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 36,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the 2nd quarter worth $535,000. Finally, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its position in shares of SunOpta by 39.4% during the 2nd quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 18,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 5,136 shares during the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.