Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVO) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVO) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,720,000 shares, a growth of 16.2% from the January 15th total of 1,480,000 shares. Approximately 3.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 334,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.1 days.

Insider Transactions at Mission Produce

In related news, Director Jay A. Pack sold 59,165 shares of Mission Produce stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.70, for a total value of $869,725.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 1,015,160 shares in the company, valued at $14,922,852. This trade represents a 5.51 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Stephen J. Barnard sold 7,032 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.51, for a total transaction of $102,034.32. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,787,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,935,899.50. This represents a 0.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 224,252 shares of company stock valued at $3,256,786. 41.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mission Produce

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Mission Produce in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in Mission Produce during the 4th quarter worth about $57,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Mission Produce during the 3rd quarter worth about $76,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Mission Produce during the 3rd quarter worth about $114,000. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in Mission Produce during the 4th quarter worth about $114,000. 63.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mission Produce Trading Up 2.0 %

NASDAQ AVO traded up $0.24 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $12.04. The company had a trading volume of 566,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 292,490. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $853.88 million, a P/E ratio of 23.61 and a beta of 0.48. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $12.76 and a 200 day moving average of $12.30. Mission Produce has a 1-year low of $9.54 and a 1-year high of $15.25.

About Mission Produce

Mission Produce, Inc engages in the sourcing, farming, packaging, marketing, and distribution of avocados, mangoes, and blueberries to food retailers, distributors, and foodservice customers in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments, Marketing and Distribution; International Farming; and Blueberries.