Stephens Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Stock

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) had its price objective hoisted by Stephens from $9.00 to $10.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on STKL. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $9.00 price objective on shares of SunOpta in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of SunOpta from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, SunOpta has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $9.50.

SunOpta Price Performance

NASDAQ:STKL opened at $7.29 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $6.33 and its 200 day moving average is $5.89. SunOpta has a 12 month low of $3.85 and a 12 month high of $7.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last issued 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 business had revenue of $176.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $172.30 million. SunOpta had a positive return on equity of 7.92% and a negative net margin of 2.74%. On average, research analysts expect that SunOpta will post 0.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at SunOpta

In other news, insider Robert Duchscher sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.33, for a total value of $366,500.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of SunOpta

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STKL. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in SunOpta by 139.3% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 4,772 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the second quarter worth $60,000. MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the second quarter valued at $63,000. Finally, Tealwood Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the third quarter valued at $80,000. Institutional investors own 85.39% of the company’s stock.

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.