SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Sets New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $7.64 and last traded at $7.63, with a volume of 50033 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.51.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on STKL shares. StockNews.com raised shares of SunOpta from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Stephens increased their price objective on SunOpta from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 target price on shares of SunOpta in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, SunOpta has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $9.50.

SunOpta Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.90. 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 (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.02. SunOpta had a positive return on equity of 7.92% and a negative net margin of 2.74%. The firm had revenue of $176.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.30 million. On average, analysts expect that SunOpta Inc. will post 0.13 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SunOpta

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in SunOpta by 86.6% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 77,955 shares of the company’s stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 36,172 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in SunOpta in the 1st quarter valued at $211,000. Blair William & Co. IL increased its holdings in SunOpta by 77.0% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 1,971,345 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,543,000 after acquiring an additional 857,603 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in SunOpta by 7.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 642,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,414,000 after acquiring an additional 44,905 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in SunOpta by 13.4% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 26,913 shares of the company’s stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 3,171 shares in the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.