ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Makes New Investment in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. has acquired a new stake in The J. M. Smucker Company, purchasing 20,875 shares valued at approximately $2.47 million in the first quarter.
• The J. M. Smucker Company recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $1.10 per share, reflecting an annual yield of 4.0%.
• The company's recent earnings report showed a disappointing revenue decline of 2.8% year-over-year, with a reported EPS of $2.31, exceeding analyst estimates.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. purchased a new stake in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 20,875 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,472,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SJM. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of J. M. Smucker during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker during the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Cooksen Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company's stock.

J. M. Smucker Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SJM opened at $110.91 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.81 billion, a PE ratio of -9.59, a PEG ratio of 8.28 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $104.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $108.88. The J. M. Smucker Company has a twelve month low of $93.30 and a twelve month high of $125.42.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 10th. The company reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.18 billion. J. M. Smucker had a positive return on equity of 15.20% and a negative net margin of 14.10%. J. M. Smucker's quarterly revenue was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.66 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.88 EPS for the current year.

J. M. Smucker Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This is an increase from J. M. Smucker's previous quarterly dividend of $1.08. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. J. M. Smucker's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -37.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Tarang Amin acquired 1,050 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $96.09 per share, with a total value of $100,894.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $367,544.25. The trade was a 37.84% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 2.24% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on SJM. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of J. M. Smucker from $128.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of J. M. Smucker from an "underperform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $120.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $124.00 target price (up previously from $123.00) on shares of J. M. Smucker in a report on Friday, June 6th. Barclays cut their price target on J. M. Smucker from $119.00 to $105.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised J. M. Smucker from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $118.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J. M. Smucker presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $117.67.

About J. M. Smucker

The J. M. Smucker Company manufactures and markets branded food and beverage products worldwide. It operates in three segments: U.S. Retail Pet Foods, U.S. Retail Coffee, and U.S. Retail Consumer Foods. The company offers mainstream roast, ground, single serve, and premium coffee; peanut butter and specialty spreads; fruit spreads, toppings, and syrups; jelly products; nut mix products; shortening and oils; frozen sandwiches and snacks; pet food and pet snacks; and foodservice hot beverage, foodservice portion control, and flour products, as well as dog and cat food, frozen handheld products, juices and beverages, and baking mixes and ingredients.

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