167,423 Shares in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) Purchased by Raymond James Financial Inc.

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 167,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,289,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned approximately 0.14% of SunOpta at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in SunOpta by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 774,918 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,967,000 after buying an additional 15,049 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in shares of SunOpta in the 4th quarter worth approximately $236,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its stake in SunOpta by 65.1% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 20,287 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in SunOpta by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 829,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,389,000 after purchasing an additional 14,767 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its position in SunOpta by 224.1% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 47,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $365,000 after purchasing an additional 32,777 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.39% of the company’s stock.

SunOpta Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:STKL opened at $4.71 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $6.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.86. The company has a market cap of $564.05 million, a P/E ratio of -26.17 and a beta of 1.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.20. SunOpta Inc. has a one year low of $4.62 and a one year high of $8.11.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06. The business had revenue of $193.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.90 million. SunOpta had a positive return on equity of 7.92% and a negative net margin of 2.74%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that SunOpta Inc. will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

STKL has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of 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 target price on shares of SunOpta in a report on Thursday, January 2nd.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Bryan P. Clark sold 8,500 shares of the firm’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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $149,758. This trade represents a 23.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 6.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.