SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday.

SunOpta Price Performance

Shares of STKL opened at $6.41 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $764.96 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.22 and a beta of 1.82. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $5.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.93. SunOpta has a twelve month low of $2.79 and a twelve month high of $7.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $171.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $159.95 million. SunOpta had a positive return on equity of 6.51% and a negative net margin of 23.23%. SunOpta’s quarterly revenue was down 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.03) earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that SunOpta will post 0.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SunOpta

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STKL. Granahan Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in SunOpta by 1,291.2% during the fourth quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 2,393,790 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,094,000 after purchasing an additional 2,221,718 shares in the last quarter. CastleKnight Management LP acquired a new stake in SunOpta during the 4th quarter worth $8,743,000. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its position in SunOpta by 77.0% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 1,971,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,543,000 after acquiring an additional 857,603 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 116.3% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,396,724 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,542,000 after purchasing an additional 751,126 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thornburg Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 35.5% during the fourth quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,999,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,933,000 after purchasing an additional 523,830 shares during the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is 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.