The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) Shares Purchased by J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.

J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM - Free Report) by 200.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,696 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,469 shares during the quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.'s holdings in J. M. Smucker were worth $1,503,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Menard Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J. M. Smucker Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE SJM traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $108.70. 959,913 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,567,555. The company has a 50 day moving average of $105.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $108.44. 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 J. M. Smucker Company has a 52-week low of $93.30 and a 52-week high of $125.42. The firm has a market cap of $11.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.40, a PEG ratio of 8.35 and a beta of 0.31.

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

J. M. Smucker Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.05%. This is an increase from J. M. Smucker's previous quarterly dividend of $1.08. J. M. Smucker's dividend payout ratio is presently -37.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on J. M. Smucker from $120.00 to $106.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. BNP Paribas raised J. M. Smucker from a "strong sell" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $124.00 target price (up previously from $123.00) on shares of J. M. Smucker in a research note on Friday, June 6th. Citigroup decreased their target price on J. M. Smucker from $128.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on J. M. Smucker from $118.00 to $105.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $117.33.

Insider Activity at J. M. Smucker

In other news, Director Tarang Amin purchased 1,050 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $96.09 per share, for a total transaction of $100,894.50. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 3,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at $367,544.25. This represents a 37.84% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.24% of the company's stock.

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.