SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) Cut to “Sell” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Monday.

SunOpta Stock Down 3.1 %

NASDAQ:STKL opened at $6.03 on Monday. SunOpta has a 1-year low of $2.79 and a 1-year high of $7.59. The company has a 50-day moving average of $5.57 and a 200 day moving average of $5.93. The firm has a market cap of $720.16 million, a PE ratio of -3.97 and a beta of 1.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL) (TSE:SOY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.01. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 23.23% and a positive return on equity of 6.51%. The company had revenue of $171.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $159.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.03) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that SunOpta will post 0.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of SunOpta

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta during the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Ballentine Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of SunOpta in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $60,000. MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of SunOpta in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $63,000. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of SunOpta in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of SunOpta by 18.2% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 12,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 1,917 shares during the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.